A Very Cullen Christmas
by jandco
Summary: Come, little elf. Join jandco and withthevampsofcourse as they present to you the winners of their Christmas Collaboration Contest. Rated M for gratuitous use of candy canes and Santa Claus fetishes.
1. Chapter 1

**It's Christmas week, yo.**

**And keeping that in mind, how about our new little venture?**

**We have been smutted. In some cases, quite gloriously.**

**Your stories made us snort. They made us wet. And a few times they made us gasp, scratch our heads in puzzlement, or shake our heads in amazement.**

**You guys are pretty much amazing. Thank you for answering the call of these two naughty little Christmas sprites.**

**We decided to kick it off with our offering. Here ya go-**

_Twilight is not ours, nor is it any of our contest entrant's. Unless one of you is S. Meyer in disguise?_

**Home for the Holidays **

**Bella**

This can't be happening.

Cannot.

I refuse to believe that my lot in life is so suck-ass that I could be reduced to such heights of pathetic wanting as to result in this, the epitome of all that I want yet fear.

Edward fucking Cullen.

Hell.

"Hey, Bella," he said, striding confidently into my apartment. The door was open and the living room was a flurry of mess and suitcases and iPods and people. My roommate and her boyfriend were headed toward the airport and Edward and I were headed toward the world's most awkward and insanely long car ride to Washington.

"Hey, Edward," I breathed, cursing the breathlessness and squeak as I said his name. Crap. Why am I never cool when he's around?

I've only been hanging out with him at least once a week since the beginning of college.

You'd think I'd get used to his voice and smell and smile and his damned proximity. But I turned into a tongue-tied teenager every time he was near.

This is what I get for being such a chickenshit. Three years of being the roommates of a couple, and the two of us were barely on a first-name basis. What can I say? He's hot and funny and wanted by most females, myself being the most obsessive. I had a fucking clipping from the University's newspaper from when he won some stupid track meet (that I attended and cheered my ass off at) taped to the inside of my journal, for crying out loud. I was pathetic and stalker-esque in my silent worship. And he, of course, was totally oblivious. Which is lucky, since I insisted on barely speaking to him. For all the times that he was over here, I'm pretty sure I've only uttered the incredibly brilliant "Hey", "Would you like another slice of pepperoni?", and "No, I love Sportscenter. Really," to his face. I'm pretty sure he thought I'm remedial.

I had told myself a zillion times that there's no way a PreMed is going to be interested in an Art History, no matter that we both had the same odd taste in movies and that I once caught him reading some Dorothy Parker. I secretly believed that we were meant to be, but that's hard to gauge when the object of your lust (I mean, affection) doesn't also believe it. He's just so damned… beautiful. I mean, really. It made me sigh to look at him sometimes, and he'd always turn and gaze at me with those damned icily hypnotic eyes of his and I'd just feel my clothes melting away. Then he'd get crinkles at the corners of his eyes as he smiled questioningly, and I'm sure he thought I was just having a mental breakdown or something. And I'd respond brilliantly by blushing or stammering and turning back to whatever movie the four of us happened to be watching.

The four of us. The four who were supposed to be driving up north for Winter Break. The four of us who were now reduced to two because my roommate's dick boyfriend suddenly, at the last fuckdamned minute, decided to fly home instead. Because he didn't want to put the strain on his transmission. And his stupid parents offered to pay for both he and Angela to go back home, leaving me and Edward up the proverbial creek.

And Edward, of course, being the swell guy that he is, offered to drive the two of us because I "shouldn't be here and alone for Christmas." Which only made me want him more. He's thoughtful, too. Why does he have to be so fucking thoughtful? And how does one say no to the offer of driving from Southern California to Washington, alone in a car, with one of the hottest men in the entire state?

One cannot say no. It would be rude.

So here's Bella, attempting to pack for a trip home that she doesn't want to make, yet is desperate to see through. Because I _will_ make it in the car with him. For over twenty-four hours of driving. Dammit. I can do this. I can last. And I have decided that this is going to be when I get over my obsession with a guy who has never seen me as more than his roommate's girlfriend's boring roommate. Someone to share pizza and light conversation with, and that's it.

There's no way that after spending a day with him alone in a car that I'll still find him hot and interesting. No one is that wonderful.

Right?

Right.

He eyed my suitcases and raised his eyebrow at me. I flushed. I know, I know. Renee had purchased the girliest fucking bags she could come up with; black, with cherries all over them. Like I'm some sort of trendy, demure whore with my pseudo-goth-a-billy matching luggage that screamed "See? Cherries. Get it? Like I'm virginal, but teasing you with my plump, luscious twin dangling bites of fruit?"

God, maybe there really is something wrong with me.

He hefted the luggage, the muscles in his arms hypnotizing me with the strain of it all. He had such wonderful veins; popping out as he grunted slightly with the effort.

"What the hell do you have in here, Swan?" he laughed, looking at me over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

"Shut it, Cullen. A girl needs her supplies," I responded. I wished I could come up with something more interesting. _Sigh_.

"You guys have fun!" I heard Angela trill from the kitchen. She and Ben were leaving later that night, and Edward and I had decided to get started early. Traffic would probably suck leaving LA, and we wanted to make it home with decent time. He was taking me to Forks and driving on to Seattle; I almost refused to believe that the perfect man had grown up so close to me. My mind went into fantasy mode, imagining a teenaged Bella finding the teenaged Edward at some school function like a football game. Our eyes would meet in line waiting for nachos, and we'd make a silent agreement to meet under the bleachers for some innocent feelskis and making out. Every teenaged girl's dream.

"Have a safe drive," Ben said, coming out and handing me a Thomas Guide. Edward laughed and reminded him that his truck had GPS, but Ben didn't trust technology. Angela came over and hugged me while Edward stuffed one suitcase under his arm, shaking Ben's hand. Ang eyed me significantly; she knew of my crush, even though I had never confirmed it nor talked of it once. And she never pressed. She was a good friend like that; it's why we'd decided to get an apartment together after two years of dorm living. I was grateful to her for so many things, but dating Edward's roommate was definitely at the top of that list.

"You guys will be fine. Just remember to call when you're safely home," she said, handing me a bag full of snacks and a cooler full of drinks.

"Ready, Bella?" Edward asked, and I felt a ridiculous surge of pleasure rush up from my belly and out my throat as I said, "Yeah, let's go," silently thrilling like I always did whenever he said my name. _Beh-lla. Beh-lllllla_. I imagined for the three thousandth time what it would sound like whispered in my ear, in passion. _Beh-lla_.

I watched his ass as we walked out to the curb where he had parked illegally. Making a mental checklist, I made sure we had everything. Luggage- check. Purse, phone- check check. Low self-esteem and near-blinding lust- sigh. Edward. _Check_.

He opened the door for me and I had a small smile on my face as I climbed up into the truck. I almost wished he was a douche who had raised the shit out of his vehicle so that he'd have to help me up, but he didn't. Just your standard Silverado. Lots of guys out here in So Cal had a truck, and they were all dicks. But not Edward. Never Edward. He always used his truck to help people move. Stupid thoughtful boy.

He got in and turned to me.

"So, are we ready to do this?"

"Yep."

"Then we're off. You drive the radio."

And we left.

**Edward**

I watched her little finger with a jagged, bit nail punch buttons too harshly on my radio.

Four Non Blondes. _What's Going On._

Well, she has awful taste in music, which actually surprised me. I pegged her for a decent music lover.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched her put her hair over her shoulder, hiding her face from me.

I sighed, not surprised by this move.

I almost asked Bella Swan out once; she's sexy as all hell, but for whatever reason the girl refuses to say more than two words to me a day.

So, I didn't ask her out, and then, for an entire semester, I was convinced she was just really stupid. I mean, she never contributes to conversations and whenever I ask her anything, even if it's just "_H__ey, ya need another beer?"_she always responds with "_huh"_?

But a few times, I heard her engaging in intelligent conversation in which she said, well, way more than two words, to Ben or Angela.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion that she harbored something against me personally…which would be fine, if I ever actually did anything to her.

Which I didn't.

I'm nice and I mind my manners in front of chicks, she had no reason to snub me…which is why I offered to drive her home.

One whole day in the car to get her to talk.

Just me and Bella Swan.

I could be annoyingly persistent when I felt like it, and other than her shiny, good smelling hair, she had nowhere to hide.

Linda Perry demanded once more to know what's going on and I couldn't help it, I cringed.

"Sorry," Bella said quietly from the passenger seat and extended her finger to abuse my radio some more.

"No, it's fine…" I said quickly. "We can listen to whatever music you like."

She laughed.

"What?" I asked, not sure if I was confused or frightened for her mental health.

"Don't be silly. No one actually _likes_ this song."

Fine.

She was talking, I'll take the bait.

"Well then why are you listening to it?"

"You _have_ to listen to this song if it comes on. You just _have_ to. The thing about this song is, while no one likes it, _everyone_ knows all the words."

I opened my mouth to protest that, but she was right.

Even _I_ knew all the words.

Then Bella Swan started to sing softly beside me about crying in bed sometimes…and I found myself smiling and wanting her to say more ridiculously stupid and insightful things.

But she didn't, so I'd have to prod.

"When's your birthday?" I blurted out.

"September thirteenth. Why?"

"Curious. Bored. What's your favorite color?"

"Er, red."

"Mine's blue," I grinned, and I couldn't tell if she was annoyed or scared, but her face was all red and she was definitely feeling something.

I decided to keep going. If nothing else, her reactions were kind of funny, and what the hell else did I have to keep me busy for the next day?

"Do you like candy?"

"Of course I like candy."

"What's your favorite candy?"

"Straight up Hershey's kisses. No almonds. No white chocolate swirly shit. Just the classic kisses. Preferably in silver foil, but with the holidays I have to suck it up and take the silver with the red and green."

I hit on a passionate subject—that was the most she's said to me in three years… so I kept going.

"Hold up. That is contradictory for two reasons."

"What?"

"First, your favorite color is red, yet you'd rather not have the red-wrapped kisses?"

"I'm a sucker for traditionally classic."

"I'll give you that, but Hershey's kisses don't count. Chocolate isn't candy."

"Of course it is," she actually _snorted_ at me then peeked incredulously at me from out of her little hair shield.

"Uh, no, actually, it's not," I shrugged, correcting her.

Ridiculous.

Everyone knows chocolate isn't candy.

"Cullen, you may be a Premed hotshot, but I'm the expert at candy."

"Clearly, you're not—"

"Look, I won't lecture you on the cardiovascular system, you don't lecture me on candy. Chocolate. Is. Candy."

This girl is too much.

"Is. Fucking. Not," I said, staring out the windshield, trying not laugh.

"Are you kidding me?" she snapped, twisting in her seat to face me.

Her cheeks were all red and her big brown eyes were all beady and narrow.

I resisted the urge to laugh. It might've gotten me smacked.

"No, I'm not kidding. For one, anything that can be defined as candy should be a primary color—"

"Yeah, well, chocolate is _fucking_ candy," she said, flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.

My mother would call this move sassy.

I thought it was…more than cute.

_Sexy._

There was a kind of fire in this Bella that I wasn't aware existed—whatever it was, it ignited something in me and I wanted her to show me more of it.

I raised an eyebrow in her general direction and pulled off the freeway at the next exit.

"Where are we going? We don't need gas yet—"

"I gotta get something," I said quickly, pulling into the nearest gas station.

I parked and grabbed the handle to get out then she put her hand on my arm and smiled up at me.

I didn't know what she wanted, but when her eyes were all big and brown like that, and her smile was so _on me _like that…she could have anything she wanted.

I realized I wasn't moving, and then I realized it was because I didn't want her to take her hand off of me.

Hell.

"Edward?"

"Huh?"

"Pick me up some Hershey's kisses when you're in there. You know…_candy_."

"Not candy," I said quickly before hopping out and slamming the door, but I swear I could hear her laughing through the windows.

I grabbed what I needed inside and I couldn't help the smirk on my face as I walked back to my truck.

I loved being right.

I almost whistled, but then stopped dead in my tracks.

Hell no.

She was sitting in the driver's seat, looking all tiny and cute.

Hell yes?

Wait a second.

I got in the passenger seat and she turned and smiled brightly at me.

"Ready now?" she asked, moving to put the car in gear.

"This is highly entertaining and everything, but I'd like to be home before Christmas. Let's not waste time arguing over who is driving. I am."

"Yes, well, our seating arrangements are rather unfortunate then, because—"

"Seriously. Seriously. It's my truck."

"Seriously, I'm not stealing it. You can sit beside me the whole time. I just wanna drive it."

I snorted—mistake.

"Are you doubting my ability to operate a motor vehicle?"

"Are you doubting my ability to physically move you to the passenger seat?"

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

She quickly put the car in gear and slammed on the gas.

"What the—"

"Well, now it would just be dangerous to move me," she smiled, taking us back to the freeway.

She might be crazy…I might die in my truck with this insane beautiful person.

I clicked my seatbelt on and sighed, because she might be crazy…but I was pretty sure I liked it.

"Why do you want to drive?" I asked after a few minutes, when I was sure she actually knew how to drive.

"Relaxes me," she shrugged.

I hadn't realized she was tense.

"What did you get at the gas station? Sorry, you don't have to answer that. It's not my business, I just-"

Her face was all red and she was rambling, like she invaded my privacy by asking what I bought in a freaking gas station.

I held up the pocket dictionary and blew the thick coat of dust off of the red cover.

"A dictionary?" she asked.

"You're very observant, Bella. Now if you would mind observing the road a bit more I'll just clear something up for you."

She looked curiously at me and I absently gestured toward the road while I flipped through the tiny dictionary.

"What are you—"

"Ahh. Here we are. Listen up, Swan. _Candy- any of a variety of confections made with sugar, syrup, etc., often combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts, etc. __**Or**__a single piece of such a confection __or__ slang for cocaine __or__ someone or something that is pleasing or pleasurable, usually in a superficial way._ You're wrong, Bella. Chocolate is _not_ candy. You can't argue with Merriam-Webster. You just can't."

"It never said—"

"You didn't listen closely. _Often combined with chocolate_—I think we can safely deduce chocolate. Is. Not. Candy."

"I think we can safely deduce that dictionary is stupid and wrong."

"Stupid and wrong?" I repeated.

Okay, maybe I was right that entire semester…she could very well be stupid.

"Yes stupid and wrong."

"Bella, you can't just—"

"I have every right to question the objectivity of Mr. Webster," she sniffed, staring out the windshield.

"I suppose you do. But you're still wrong," I shrugged, relieved she was just stubborn and not an idiot.

"I'm right Cullen. Where is my _candy_ by the way?" she asked, holding her palm out and not looking at me.

Shit.

"Did you forget my candy?" she asked.

"Not candy," I corrected her.

She didn't move her open palm, so I dug in my pockets and—oh, gum.

I took out the single piece of now poorly wrapped wintergreen Wrigley's and placed it in her palm, then plucked a piece of lint from it, then closed her palm.

She opened her hand and took a quick peek.

"Gross," she said.

"You're welcome," I smiled.

Then she actually ate the gum.

Oh, I _like_ her.

Bella snapped the gum and moved her hand back to the radio. I lightly slapped it away.

"You get driving rights, I get radio rights," I said, like it should be obvious.

"Okay," she agreed lightly.

I watched her drive my truck easily, swiftly. She kind of hummed under her breath at the good songs and the heat coming from the vents kept blowing this amazing scent at me, like strawberry and _girl_ and I kind of hoped her smell would linger in the truck long after she was gone.

A while of good music and no talking passed before I decided to bug her again. I was kind of fascinated by her silly take on things.

"Do you like Christmas?"

"Everyone likes Christmas."

"Scrooge doesn't like Christmas. The Grinch doesn't like Christmas."

"Wrong. By the end of both those tales, those fictional characters like Christmas. They don't count anyway, they're fictional."

"The Grinch counts," I said, because he just does.

"Doesn't matter, he now likes Christmas."

"I suppose. What did you ask for?"

"Like gifts? I didn't. I'm not seven."

"Christmas is for everyone Bella."

"What did you ask for?"

"Nothing. I'm not seven," I shrugged, purposefully trying to agitate her.

"You are not at all what I thought you were," she said suddenly.

Whoa.

Back up.

She thought of me at all?

This was news, as she hadn't even spoken to me before.

"What exactly did you think?" I asked, leaning in.

"Well, I thought you were, er, just a nice, normal guy."

"So, I'm not normal or I'm not nice?"

"You're abnormal, but nice."

"You're definitely weirder than me," I said, because she was.

Her face turned bright red and she slightly leaned away from me.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way. It's good," I said.

"It's good to be weird?"

"Weird is too strong of word. I retract it. I just meant…you haven't said more than five words to me in years, and then you finally start talking and you steal my truck and say refreshingly silly, insightful things."

"I didn't steal the truck! You're right here! I'm just driving it—"

"Why do you never talk to me?" I asked.

"I do talk to you," she mumbled, getting all red again.

"No, you don't. You say what is absolutely necessary and refuse to engage in conversation. I swear, I've spent hours sitting right next to you and nothing. Why?"

"Because. Because. You…you make me nervous," she murmured, her face redder than the red scarf around her neck.

"I do? Why? I've never done anything to—"

"You just do, okay?" she snapped, then turned the radio up.

Okay, so I've been accused of being a little intimidating before. But come on, this girl has been around me long enough to know I'm nothing to be afraid of.

She kept driving and I kept staring at her.

There was nothing else to look at and she was very nice scenery. Her lips were full and every once in a while they'd twitch or whisper the lyrics to a song—and I was constantly wondering what she was thinking about.

It was driving me nuts.

Somewhere after crossing into Oregon, it occurred to me that I desperately wanted to kiss her—well, I've always wanted to kiss her, but now I _really_ wanted to.

If I didn't get out of the car soon, I was going to just…kiss her.

"Hey, hey, exit the freeway here," I said, tapping on the window with my knuckle.

"Oh, okay, we should eat, I'm—"

"Fine, but first we do this," I said, twisting around to the backseat and using one hand to fish for a disposable camera I knew was back there.

"Do what?"

"Turn left, you'll see."

Ten minutes later.

"Get out, this is important," I said, holding up my camera.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, I am. Landmarks, Bella. What's a road trip without stopping to visit state landmarks?"

"Uh, a road trip in which I'm not twelve and accompanied by my parents."

"You'll thank me for the memories," I said, and got out of the passenger seat.

She didn't get out so I walked around the truck to her door and opened it. She blinked at me and I grabbed her hand and helped her out of the truck.

"Go stand in front of it," I sighed. She really had no experience with this.

"What is it?"

"The Newberry Volcano! God. It was named for Dr. John Strong Newberry, who was exploring in 1855 when—"

"If I stand there and let you take my picture, can we leave?"

"Yes."

She flashed her best tourist smile just as the wind picked up and blew her hair all around her face—and this was no good for two reasons: one, getting out of the car didn't help. Now I wanted to grope her _and_ kiss her. Two, I really wished the disposable camera actually had film left in it.

I beat her back to the driver's seat and laughed victoriously as she huffed in to the passenger seat.

"You didn't stand a chance. I run track. If you'd ever spoken to me, you would have known that," I grinned.

"I did know that. Congratulations on the last meet, by the way."

My head snapped in her direction.

She knew about that?

"Thank you," I said quietly, digesting the fact that just maybe she'd paid attention to me after all. "And Angela is wrong. You look just as pretty with straight hair as you do with it curled…or whatever."

I said it just so she would know…I paid attention, too.

"Oh…er, thank you," she said, then she was hidden behind her hair again.

A bit later I pulled back off the freeway, just as Bella was biting into an apple.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Uh, we're in Salem, Oregon."

"So?"

"So! So the Oregon Pioneer!"

"Jesus."

I grinned and easily located the landmark sculpture.

"I thought you wanted to be home before Christmas," she grumbled.

"This is necessary," I said.

Bella climbed out of the truck and I shooed her in the direction of the statue.

Fucking ridiculous.

I hoped my expression didn't give me away…this was the stupidest thing I've ever done…it's just now, I wasn't quite ready for our road trip to be over.

Pathetic as it was, I was buying time.

Bella stood next to the statue and looked up at it, chomping lazily on the apple.

"It was constructed in 1938—"

"Just take the picture, Cullen," she said, moving the apple from her mouth and grinning like she meant it.

She didn't bother racing for the driver's side this time and the ride continued. She ate the apple and my mind went crazy thinking of all the ways I'd like to kiss her, or make her laugh, or argue with her.

Her jagged nail hesitated on the radio button at some crappy Pat Benatar chick anthem. She quickly glanced at me, then changed the station.

"You can listen to it," I said, trying not to laugh.

"No, it's okay—"

I brushed her hand away and turned it back.

She could have anything she wanted.

I started to sing along, because how could she be nervous around a guy who sang Pat Benatar?

"You know the words?" she asked, turning to face me, and her eyes were all big with _happy_.

"Absolutely. I've been to eight grade dances," I said, turning the radio up. "Duet with me, Bella. I know you know the words."

She let out a rushed giggle and shook her head.

I sang louder.

_Maybe it's a sign of weakness  
When I don't know what to say  
Maybe I just wouldn't know  
What to do with my strength anyway  
Have we become a habit  
Do we distort the facts  
Now there's no looking forward  
Now there's no turning back  
When you say—_

I nudged her shoulder when I noticed her whispering along with me.

"Louder," I said.

The chorus came, and Bella sang loud and positively _awful _through her giggles with me.

Her laughter mixed with her off-key voice was, well, the best thing I've ever heard.

She twisted her little body so she was completely facing me, her cheeks flushed with effort, but she kept singing loudly, and I kept singing right along with her.

By the end, we were laughing so hard the lyrics were forgotten and she let her giggles die out while she rested her head back on the head rest…looking not so nervous at all.

"Oh, Bella," I sighed, reaching over to pat the top of her head, "you have an absolutely terrible singing voice."

"I know," she sighed happily.

She asked about my playing the piano, which I hadn't known she knew about. I asked what it was like growing up with a cop father, which she didn't know I knew.

It went like that for a bit, before we were at the Skidmore Fountain in Portland.

She didn't even protest this time, she hopped out and stood in front of the Fountain, hands on her hips and smiling.

I held the camera up to "take the picture".

"Wait!" she suddenly said. "Get in the picture with me."

Shit.

"No one's around to take it," I shrugged.

"Well, let me take one of you."

"I have a picture of me in front of the Fountain."

"Come on," she smiled, then ran up to me and snatched the camera. "We'll do one together, it'll be—hey!"

Shit. Shit. Shitshitshit.

"Edward…there aren't any exposures left in this camera."

"Huh. Really?"

"Really," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Have you been taking nonexistent pictures?" she asked, incredulous.

"Not exactly. Photographic memory," I said, tapping my temple. "I'll always have those snapshots in my mind. It's better than film because I can look whenever I want and—"

She cut off my bullshit with a confused gasp.

"Sorry?" I offered, not really sorry at all.

"You…are definitely weirder than me," she said, and she looked torn between smiling and yelling.

"Yeah, well, I'm a better singer."

"I'm a better driver."

The absurdity of her statement made me laugh—out loud. A lot.

She snatched the keys from my hand and huffed back to the truck and I was too busy laughing to even care.

Better driver.

Bwhahahahaaaa.

She's funny.

I laughed when she drove us out of Portland.

I snickered when she turned up the radio.

I laughed until we were on some deserted Oregon road and my bladder couldn't take it anymore.

"Pull over—"

"Forget it," she said. "There's no film—"

"I don't want to take your picture, I gotta piss."

"Oh."

The car immediately stopped on the shoulder.

I hopped out and stood with my back to the passenger door and unzipped my pants.

I stared at the sky, it was dark…I was hungry…

I heard the car shut off and the door slam while I was still midstream.

"Stay there," she said. "I have to go, too."

I was impressed.

The last chick I took on a road trip wouldn't even use a public rest area.

I heard the shuffling of her clothes then the distinct noise of her pee hitting the soft dirt.

I zipped up my own pants and tried not to be gross and think of her, pantsed and just on the other side of the truck.

"I'm not done yet," she called when she heard my zipper.

"I know. I can hear that," I laughed.

"Ew. Gross," she said, then whispered something that sounded like 'dying'.

When she hopped back in the driver seat I followed suit and got in the passenger seat.

Bella put the keys back in the ignition—one dead sounding click.

She threw me a nervous glance and tried again.

Nothing.

"Oh God. I broke it. I broke your truck. I'm so sorry I—"

"Shh. Relax. It's not broken," I said, leaning over her to start the truck. "Put your foot on the break."

Fuck.

Nothing.

"See? I did break it—"

"Oh my god! You did! You broke my truck!" I said, wide-eyed.

"I'm so sorry—"

"It was a joke, Bella. You didn't break it. The battery died," I said.

"Oh. Well. Now what?"

"Now we take your cell phone out and call triple A."

"I don't have a cell phone."

"How can you _not _have a cell phone?"

"The same way people ten years ago didn't all have cell phones. It's just not necessary—look, I don't owe you an explanation. Use yours."

"Mine is dead."

"You're going to lecture me about not having a cell phone while yours is completely useless? That is—"

"I didn't lecture you and—"

"You were going to!"

"You can't possibly project what I was or was not going to—"

"Yes, I can, it was obvious—"

"Okay, stop. This is pointless. Let's look at our options. We could wait here and hope that someone stops, and if they do, that they have jumper cables…two big ifs—and it's gonna get fucking cold. Or, we could walk."

"Walk?"

"Right. Until we find civilization."

"It's cold!" she shrieked.

"It'll be cold in the truck in about three more minutes."

"It's dark. We don't know what's out there—"

"Bella. I promise you, you'll be okay. I won't let anything get you," I smirked…because she was scared for no damn reason.

She got all red and kind of nodded.

I rifled through my bags in the backseat and fished out most of my ski shit, hats, gloves, coats and the bottle of vintage red I had bought Esme for Christmas, along with the antique corkscrew.

I handed Bella the bottle of wine and corkscrew while I plunked a hat on her head.

"What the hell is this for?" she asked.

"To keep us warm," I said, taking the bottle and putting it on the cab of the truck. "Hold your hands out."

She did and I slipped my gloves on her hands. They were huge and somehow made the rest of her look tiny.

I promised myself I'd keep her warm and safe right then and there.

I put some winter gear on myself and grabbed the bottle from the cab and reached for Bella's hand, but she was trying to dig through her purse with my huge gloves on.

"Do you need some help?" I asked.

"Uh, yes," she said, thrusting the purse at me.

Oooh, a look inside Bella's world.

"What do you need," I said, sticking my hand inside.

"There should be a can of mace," she said and I paused. "My father is a cop," she shrugged.

I didn't move.

"Not to protect me from you, idiot. From…anything else," she said.

"Bella, I won't let anything—"

"Just get the mace. And the Chapstick."

"Chapstick?"

"Just get it," she said, shaking the purse.

It was hard to feel with the gloves.

I pulled out a tampon.

"Not that," she said quickly, turning away.

"Premed," I said laughing. "I'm probably more comfortable with this shit than you."

"Doubt it," she mumbled and I tossed the tampon back in the purse.

I pulled out a small journal next.

Oh, jackpot.

"Put that back," she said.

I did, but I was intrigued…all those amazing Bella thoughts, just written right out…right there.

Finally I found the Chapstick and the mace.

"Take the cap off," she said, I did and she couldn't really grasp the small stick in the huge gloves.

I sighed and jerked it back.

"Pucker up, lady," I said.

"Oh! I- wait. What?" she mumbled, looking everywhere but at me.

"Do you want this on your lips?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Then sit still," I said.

I put a gloved finger under her chin to lift her face and she was shaking.

Fuck.

She was cold—already.

I leaned in so I could see better- I didn't want to shove the Chapstick up her nose—she stopped breathing kind of, which was okay because I was suddenly breathing way too fast and heavy, enough for both of us.

Her lips kind of closed and parted and _those lips_ were all I could see—for a second I was worried they'd all I'd ever be able to see again.

I was hypnotized.

"Well…" she said, making me not look at her lips.

I brought the Chapstick to her lips, and silently cursed it, because, dammit, I wanted to be the only thing rubbing up on those lips.

I did her bottom lip first, and she was trying to keep still but it wasn't working, she was shaking more than before.

By the time I got to her pouty upper lip my dick was hard.

In the freezing cold…just from putting Chapstick on the girl—which really is saying a lot because I've actually felt chicks up in a warm room with a limper dick.

"You should put some on," she said, quickly taking a step back and rubbing her lips together.

I took a step closer and peered at her lips closely.

"I don't think so," I laughed. "That shit has sparkles in it."

"Uh, I'm not fourteen or a stripper. They aren't sparkles. It's iridescent shimmer. You'll get windburn, or chapped or whatever. Put it on."

"Sparkles. And no."

"Shimmer, and don't come crying to me when you're all cracked and hurting."

"I won't," I said.

I will.

I grabbed the wine and corkscrew from the cab and gestured for Bella to get a move on.

"You first," she said, staring past me and out to the deserted black road.

I rolled my eyes and trudged forward.

Bella caught my hand from behind and held it way too tight, making me smile at nothing in particular.

"Just…don't let go," she said. "Don't lose me, it's dark and—"

"Are you afraid of the dark?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

She was completely silent and just held on to my hand.

I shook my hand free from hers and used my teeth to take my glove off.

"Hold this," I said, muffled, thrusting the wine at her.

"I just said don't let go! God you—"

"Hush," I said, digging through my pocket, then proudly held up a red Bic lighter and flicked it.

I held the flame up under her chin, and all I saw was black eyes and shimmery lips and—fuck she was beautiful.

"You don't smoke," she mused, her breath making the flame waver.

"Much," I said.

"I'm shocked, Mr. Doctor Track Star," she mocked.

I took my thumb from the lighter.

"Fine, okay, sorry," she said quickly—I laughed and relit the flame.

We walked in silence for a while, the only sound the gravel under our feet and the sounds of our nylon jackets swooshing together when our arms swiped.

My thumb was burning and raw, the rest of me freezing, but I kept reflicking the lighter every ten seconds.

"You alright?" I asked after a bit.

"Mmhmm," she uttered, and I could hear her shiver. I stopped walking and she stopped with me. I yanked the glove from her hand and she gasped.

"Relax…here, hold this," I said, giving her the lighter.

She held it up and I took the wine from under my arm and the corkscrew from my pocket.

"Great skills," she mumbled when I had it open it half a second.

"My mom is a wine buff," I said, then took a gulp, wishing my mom was a whiskey buff.

I offered Bella the bottle, and she didn't hesitate like I expected her to. She chugged.

"You like your red, huh?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

She shrugged and handed the bottle back.

We trudged on, passing the bottle back and forth…and then I noticed her starting to stumble.

Then I noticed her starting to giggle at absolutely nothing.

"You're drunk," I scoffed, surprised that my own words came out a bit slurred…and I was smiling, for no apparent reason at all…then I remembered we never did stop to eat.

"Pssh…_you're_ drunk," she said loosely.

I was.

Ten minutes later her arm was linked through mine and the lighter was long forgotten.

"I was fifteen the first time I got drunk," she slurred and hiccupped.

"Yeah, me too…it was three beers and I was with my best friend Jasper…behind a 7-11."

"I drank peach Schnapps. It was awful…and I was by myself…"

This made me howl with laughter.

"That's the fucking saddest thing I ever heard," I laughed, doubling over, dragging her with me.

"Shut up," she laughed. "I was in my basement, it was Charlie's…and I puked all over the ironing board."

Fucking ridiculous.

I caught my breath, only to lose it again when she started laughing harder.

"Okay, okay," she giggled, regaining composure…kind of. "First kiss?"

"Umm, I was twelve. Eleven? No, twelve. Her name was Elizabeth and she tasted like peanut butter and jelly and I only did it because she had tits, and I wanted to feel them," I confessed.

"Well, didja get a feel?" Bella slurred, asking seriously.

"Of course. Of Cottonelle 2-ply. To this day, it's the biggest disappointment of my life. How 'bout you?"

"I was flat 'til I was fourteen, which is also the year of my first kiss. I no longer think it's a coincidence," she giggled and took another gulp from the bottle. "Your mom has good taste. Wish I could say the same for you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Fucking you—"

"You have dirty drunk mouth," I cut in.

"You fucking like it."

"I do," I admitted.

"Anyway, you have awful taste."

"I have impeccable taste—what the fuck are we talking about?"

"Victoria. Tanya. Skank. Jessica."

"Chicks I dated?"

"Mmm."

"I'll have you know Victoria was…Victoria had…very nice hair," I said, because, hell, she was kind of skanky.

"Jeshica?" Bella questioned.

"Jessica is a wonderful…Jessica's nails always looked very…pink."

"You have awful taste—"

"Mike Newton. What the _fuck_ was that? God, that kid was a douche."

"Mike was nice! He always opened doors and—"

"Was a douche."

I always hated that prick. She dated him during the semester when I was certain she was an idiot. Not idiots wouldn't date Mike Newton.

"Oh, leave Mike alone. They can't all be all perfect and Edward-like."

Pardon me?

I'm perfect?

"Bella, how come you never talked to me?"

"I told you," she shrugged.

"Not good enough. That was a shitty answer earlier."

"Oh, fuck it. I'm drunk. I might die out here. Gimme my purse."

"Answer my question," I said, dangling the purse over her head.

"I'm fucking going to," she laughed, yanking her arm free from mine.

I gave her the purse and dug my lighter back out, so she could rummage effectively.

"This is taking forfuckingever. Why don't you just tell me?" I sighed, when she started mumbling something under her breath.

"Shaddup. Ya want an answer, I'm giving it."

I kicked absently at the gravel.

I flicked the lighter quick, making a strobe.

She kind of growled and I kept doing it while she swatted at my hand.

"Here," she finally said, then thrust something in my chest.

Bella quickly linked her arm back through mine and turned her face away.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, bringing the lighter over the object she practically threw at me.

"Your answer."

It was the little journal.

"Bella. I don't wanna know about girly talks with Angela and bad poetry—"

"Uh, first of all, if I wrote poetry it'd be damn good. Second of all—fucking just open it."

I narrowed my eyes and held the flame between us.

Her eyelids were heavy and her posture loose.

Her lips were stained red from the wine and sparkled from the ridiculous Chapstick and little choppy tufts of breath clouded in the cold air—and she was completely wasted.

I couldn't look in that girly journal.

I shoved it back in her purse, annoyed at myself.

I should've just looked, because I was fairly certain whatever was in there was _good_.

"Why'dja do that?" she asked, trying horribly to balance on a yellow line on the road.

"'Cause."

"That's a shitty answer."

"'Cause if you got something to tell me, you should tell me when you're not fucked up."

She stopped for a second and stared at the yellow line, then a smile slowly spread on her face.

"That's why," she whispered and I had no fucking clue what she was talking about, but it didn't matter, she was talking to herself anyway.

Ten minutes later she was dead weight on my back, breathing heavily in my ear, her heels flopping on my legs with each step.

I was put off by the layers of coat between us, because I wanted to _feel _her on me.

We were freezing, drunk, in the middle of nowhere and all I could think about was how much I missed by not making her talk to me three years ago...and how she would taste. And how she would move if I went down on her. And the things she would say if we ever went on a date. And what her hair looks like in the morning when she wakes up. And…I should have fucking looked at the journal.

Then I saw it.

Up the road, a dim fledgling, flashing sign.

It read M OT L.

If the piece of shit sign worked, it would read MOTEL.

"Look," I whispered, pointing ahead at it.

I felt her head lift from my shoulder and a pang of…loss.

"Oh!" she sighed, and her legs tightened around my waist, making me want to run in the opposite direction, so we could just stay alone and isolated and turn us into _something_…this was clearly starting to make me crazy.

I kept moving forward, reminding myself I still had the whole night and most of tomorrow just to be next to her.

Too soon we stood in front of the dilapidated Motel.

"It's the fucking Bates Motel," I mumbled.

"Let's take our chances on the street," Bella said, yanking my arm.

I laughed and wanted to let her drag me away…but she was cold and tired and I promised…

"It might be fun," I said, pulling her back to me.

She was stumbling and I was firm and the result was her crashing in to me, too hard and too quick.

Bella looked up and I looked down and we collided again—this time on purpose.

Her teeth bumped into my lip and my tongue flicked out to lick at my wound but found her tongue first and she grabbed at my jacket with the ridiculously large gloves, unable to get a firm grasp, she just kept slipping off…

I wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, but stumbled, making our teeth clank together again and she yelped something into my mouth—then I kind of tasted the blood from my lip—and fuck this was the best and worst kiss of all time.

A bell jingled from the Motel door and we shot apart from each other, panting and wide-eyed.

Bella's gloved hand clapped over her mouth and I sucked on my bleeding lip.

"Well. We do hourly rates, but don't stain the sheets."

I looked up and saw a sixty-year-old woman with the physique of a linebacker staring at us…not in shock, more in boredom.

She wore a blue house coat and steel toe boots and smelled like cat and cigarettes.

"Oh, er, see," Bella was stammering, but scary Motel worker was focused on me.

"Boy, you've got sparkles on your lips," she said, shaking her head.

She mumbled something about the times then turned to open the door for me and Bella.

**No, of course we wouldn't end it there.**

**The thing about jandco and withthevampsofcourse is that they're both unapologetic rule-breakers. **

**And they seem to be unable to listen to themselves. So this story is going to bookend the contest.**

**Up next…. Our first contest winner! **

**Oh, we're all winners. But this story just made us all happy and wet.**

**PS- some of you were under the misunderstanding that there would be an overall winner. Nope. The big winner is you, the reader, getting some fun, sexytimes as a Christmas gift, courtesy of jandco and withthevampsofcourse.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, Little Cindy Lou Whos. Here it is… the first pick of the Christmas Contest!**

**Now, before we begin, a brief intro to the contest:**

**We challenged everyone to write something festive.**

**Several of you answered, and answered nicely.**

**Now, here's the thing. We were expecting some bad. Some truly awful. I mean, just because you wanna write, doesn't mean you should.**

**But everyone who entered this contest did well. Really. You did.**

**The five (yes, we went with five. We've been known to follow rules) we went with jumped out at us, and I mean jumped. And we'll tell you our reasons for why we picked them.**

**There were several that we liked but for one reason or another, they didn't quite make the short list- but we will give them a shout-out. **

**Thank you to everyone who wrote. Now…. go read, and make sure you leave love for them. Not just here, but on their accounts as well! Some of the winners are either brand new or not widely read, so seriously. Let's hold hands and sing some Nat King Cole- spread the cheer, spread the love. Spread your legs and enjoy.**

**On with the show!**

**This story gets the "Best T-Rated One shot" Award. Not just for this contest, but in general. **

**The writing is crisp, the transition from Canon Twilight to Fanfiction is loverly, and it got the point across in a sweet, wonderful way.**

**The last line… well, we'll tell you when you get there.**

**Enjoy!**

**Congratulations to Corvis Greenleaf and Perpetual Lurker, and read their story "Christmas Wish."**

**Christmas Wish**

I walked to my truck with a smug look on my face. I was hoping that my plan was going to work, that I would finally be able to put one over on Alice. I sighed as I realized that it was never going to work, she was going to know what it was.

As I drove to Edward's, I wished the heat in my car was remotely warm. Despite the chill, I found myself actually sort of happy about the encroaching holidays. I bought Charlie a new gun belt. I was sort of dismal as I couldn't think of anything else to get him, but figured he'd appreciate the practicality of it. I made Jasper a CD, something I would never do for most people, but I had put on it a lot of the songs that calmed me down, and I just had to hope he appreciated at least the sentiment. Alice had assured me that he would understand the thought behind it.

Emmett was proving to be difficult. After the CD player he had gotten for me, I wasn't sure what to get him. I could just get him a gift certificate from the sporting goods store, but that seemed to me a cop out. I pulled down the lane to the Cullen house and pondered. As if hearing my inner turmoil, the vampire in question strolled out of the garage. On a whim I called him to the car.

"Hey, Bells, what's going on?" He asked.

I wondered why he wasn't out hunting with the others, but either way I was glad he was there. "Get in." I said.

"Huh?"

"You heard me, get in." I said, trying to look menacing. I knew it was a failure as he erupted into laughter.

"Are you kidnapping me?" He asked, getting into the truck of his own will.

"Yes, actually, I am, now cooperate." I said.

I always considered Emmett like a big brother to me, and he always had treated me the same. What was a little kidnapping amongst siblings? Alice did it all the time. I just needed some sort of leverage. Brute strength was not something I could wield over him. I laughed at the thought.

"What's so funny?" He asked as I pulled away from the house. I had time to get back before I was meeting Edward.

"I was trying to imagine actually kidnapping you." I said. He laughed at the thought as well. "Doesn't seem very likely."

I scowled. I changed my mind as I drove, deciding to try a different tack of the kidnapping. "Tell me about yourself. You think I'm hilarious for some reason or another, I mean, it's only fair that I should know something embarrassing about you."

Emmett laughed again. "Coercion? I thought so much more highly of you, Bells." He said.

"Aw, come on, play along!" I said, taking the next turn wildly. Emmett had to reach over and pull the steering wheel to get us back in contact with the road. I gasped, too late to do anything about it.

"I suppose I can tell you something if you manage to keep us on the road. I wouldn't want to have to carry the truck back to the house." Emmett said, not bothered by the near accident at all. I turned my head to look at him, but his cold hand was already turning my chin away so I would keep an eye on the road. His hand stayed for a moment longer than I thought it would and I was taken a little by surprise at how softly his hand had touched my face. I shook my head and focused on the road. He continued to talk.

"I'll play along, I guess." He said. "After all, as my captor, you're calling all the shots."

"Darn right." I said weakly.

He chuckled and looked deep in thought. "Does it have to be embarrassing?" He asked.

"Humiliating. How many times have I tripped and fallen in front of you?"

"Too many to count." He pointed out. I glared, keeping my eyes on the road. We were almost to the sporting goods store.

"I don't know." He said, grinning. "There's not many things that embarrass me."

I groaned, pulling into the deserted parking lot of the Newton's store. "I knew you were going to be difficult."

"Well, I can't make this easy." He said, getting out of the car and coming around to open the door for me. I let him help me out of the cab of the truck and walk inside. I couldn't help that it was icy and he was sure on his feet. That parking lot was dangerous. "What exactly are we doing here?" He asked.

"Buying you a present." I explained. "What did you think? I have no idea what to get for you."

"You kidnapped me to get me a present?" He asked, grinning.

"Well, it seemed like a better plan at the time!" I said defensively. "And a lot more personal than a gift certificate."

He raised his eyebrows at the word personal, but I blamed my imagination. Now that he and I were out and alone together, personal was not what I planned on being with Emmett.

I changed the path of the conversation back to what we were there for. "Now, what do you want?" I asked, pulling his arm and leading him down the aisle. "A tent?"

"To sleep in?" He asked, laughing.

"Ugh. A lantern?"

"I don't need light."

I walked past the display of canteens and he laughed out loud, the sound booming around the store. I couldn't help the fluster on my face. We passed the sleeping bags in the same manner.

"A gun?" I asked, knowing that this was not turning out to be a good idea, despite all the "camping" trips Emmett went on. I glared at him. "Are you having fun?" I asked as he tried to contain his laughter.

"Sorry, I'll try not to." I couldn't help but laugh. It was such a change from Edward's pensive mood, it was almost infectious. Almost. I went back to looking through the aisles. Camouflage vests. Fishing line. Deer urine. Ugh.

"Well, I'm at a loss." I finally admitted.

"Bells, you don't have to get me anything." He said, coming closer and looking more serious than I had ever seen him. "I just wish…"

He let his eyes trail to something above us. I groaned out loud. I was going to kill Mike Newton. And shove that sprig of mistletoe so far up his…

"You know what that means?" Emmett asked.

"No."

"It's tradition!" Emmett said, laughing again.

"No."

"Seriously, Bells, you can't afford any more bad luck."

"No."

"Just once, and I promise you won't have to get me anything for Christmas. And I'll tell you something that Alice is planning."

"N.. What? What is Alice planning?" I asked, suspiciously.

He didn't say anything, just pointed to the sprig of horror above us. I hoped she was planning to help me kill Mike. I was curious.

"Fine. One small peck. And it's in the name of holiday cheer." I said, drawing my line in the sand. Well, snow. Whatever.

Before I could change my mind, Emmett's cold lips were pressed against my own. I stiffened, but he didn't pull away. If anything, his mouth grew more demanding. That was a change. I felt his arms snake around my waist and my hands were on his massive shoulders. How had those gotten there?

I went to pull away from him, this was bad, this was wrong, but he became more insistent. I gasped as his tongue found its way into mine, and I gave up my fight momentarily stunned. It was such a change. Usually when we got this far, Edward pulled away. Not Emmett. He felt my moment of weakness and took that chance to pull me closer to him, off the floor so he wouldn't be leaning over me. I was kissing him back. When did that happen?

I broke away from him, his breathing ragged, mine the same. I was still being held off the floor by him, and I was still dazed when he set me back down. I held onto his arm, not sure of my feet anymore.

"Jees, Bells, that was…" He trailed off again.

"You were going to wish for something." I said suddenly. "And tell me what Alice was planning. And something embarrassing." Gah, I couldn't even make coherent sentences.

"Alice is planning a Christmas party for you. And something embarrassing, a bear got the best of me and bit me."

"How's that embarrassing? You killed it, right?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't sit for a week."

I paused for a moment, looking to make sure I heard him right. I nearly choked as I comprehended what he had said. Laughter again filled the aisles of the store, but this time, it was all mine.

"And the wish?"

"Nevermind that." He said, putting his hand over mine as we walked out of the store. He helped me across the ice and to the car.

"You're not getting off that easy." I said once we had started down the road back the way we came. "I'm still in charge here."

He laughed, but seemed to give in. He reached his hand over the seat and rested it on my knee.

"I wish I had seen you first."

**Aww.**

**TELL me you didn't just kinda cock yer head to the side. So say it. Say it out loud. **_**Aww**_**.**

**The sweetest of the stories entered, to be sure.**

**Hmm…. What could be next? It's all downhill from here. No more sweet. You girls are naaaasty.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Aaaaaand now on to the more M-Rated aspects of life.**

**This story wins the "Senescent Feline Predator Award" for its accurate depiction of the (slightly) older female libido.**

**Sexy funtimes? Check.**

**Good plot? Check.**

**Writing style? Check.**

**Enjoy the only threesome collaboration… and you know we love our threesomes.**

"**Christmas on Cougar Island" by acireamos, gustariana, and lipsmacked.**

**Nice job, ladies!**

**Christmas on Cougar Island**

**ALICE**

**--**

**Christmas Eve aka My Birthday**

**--**

I looked around the lobby for the tenth time in the last minute. He was late. My foot was tapping impatiently and I had my arms crossed while I checked out my surroundings. The resort lobby was beautiful, if a little overdone, but I guess people were looking for an escape from reality when they came here. I know I was.

Bella, Rose and I had come down to Puerto Rico for Christmas this year, to spend a week just us girls. And my birthday was today, Christmas Eve, so we decided to turn it into a Birthday/Christmas trip. None of us were married and we needed some time to relax together. No family stress, no one bugging us about babies and/or husbands.

It was disgusting. We were all successful women that had done it all on our own. The big joke on the plane down was that we just needed to find some hot young guys and have fun. No worries, no commitments. I know I needed some fun. All the hot young guys I saw at work were gay or married or complete psychos, so if I had to come all the way down here to find a good one, well, then that's just what needed to happen. I checked my messenger bag one more time, just to have something to do, making sure I had my sketchpad, bug spray, aloe, Swiss army knife, band-aids, Neosporin, mace…

My internal list came crashing to a halt when I noticed someone standing in front of me. My eyes were on their feet, their very large feet, that were in beat up tennis shoes. I wondered if my sandals would be okay for the tour, but that thought was lost as I looked up at the person, my eyes skimming past muscular legs, _I bet he played soccer_, to a pair of worn cargo shorts that hung loosely off of him. His t-shirt was fitted and showed off his arms that were the highlight until I got to his face. Which was gorgeous; all tan skin, blue eyes, and bright white teeth framed by messy blonde locks. He was smiling down at me so widely I wondered if he had me mistaken for someone else.

"Hey, I am Jasper. I am the guide for the Rainforest Tour. We were a little under booked today, so I actually thought they had canceled today's tour." He shrugged, still smiling. "I guess they forgot to tell you."

Canceled? Damn it, this was my birthday present to myself, to try and get over my fear of the outdoors. I figured the best way to do it was to just jump right in, both feet first.

My disappointment must have been obvious, because he started talking quickly.

"Well, I don't have plans today. I mean, if you want I could take you out on your own? I'll show you all the same stuff, it will be easier though because there won't be twenty other people asking questions too." He smiled, reaching his hand out towards me. "How does that sound? Your own personal tour by the best tour guide here?

I laughed, "The best, huh? Well, I was really looking forward to this; it's sort of my birthday present to myself and…"

"Oh, well then it's settled. Since it's your birthday you are definitely getting the best tour ever." He was so excited, I wondered what he thought was going to happen on this "best tour ever".

"Ok, Jasper. Show me what you've got." Oh God, that sounded way more sexual than I was intending. Great, now he was shooting me sexy grins over his shoulder as he headed towards the door. His eyes were slowly dropping as he looked me over, but when he got to my hips he stopped and made a face.

"Is that a bag? You don't need anything for this tour, and we should be done in time for lunch so you don't need to bring any food." He looked confused as I opened my bag and went through my list of supplies. When I got to the mace, he laughed loudly, grabbing the bag and lifting it over my head.

"We'll just leave this here. You won't need any of that stuff, especially the mace."

He was smirking at me now as he walked to the desk, leaving my bag with the attendant. God, if it weren't so hot I would slap it right off his face. That is, if I could reach his face. But I was thinking he was probably a foot and a half taller than me, so I wasn't sure I could.

He ambled back over giving me time to take in his lanky form. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it the whole tour without drooling all over him like some pervert. I mean, he couldn't be any older than twenty. I remembered then the joke on the plane and thought to myself, _Fuck it. This why I am here._

With my new found courage I took his proffered hand and we headed out to the rainforest.

After an hour of what he referred to as walking and I referred to as hiking, I was beat. My shirt was soaked with sweat, my feet were hurting and I couldn't keep my eyes off of Jasper. The way his shoulders moved when he pointed at different plants and animals, the way his shorts hung off of his toned ass or the way the muscles of his neck look when he turns his head…damn it. He caught me staring again. I turned quickly trying to look at what he was showing me but missed it and when I looked back he has moved closer to me. I ran right into him, my breasts pressing into his well-defined abs. My nipples were hard immediately. "I don't mind if you look, I just hate to see you get embarrassed about it," he smirked.

"I'm not embarrassed, Jackson. I have nothing to be embarrassed about." I actually was a little embarrassed. When he didn't reply, I looked at him quickly.

He was pouting, and I stepped closer, wondering what was wrong.

"What?"

"My name is Jasper."

"I know that."

"You called me Jackson."

I did? Shit. "Oh, I didn't, I mean, I know your name isn't…"

He smiled at me, my nervousness apparently soothing any worries he had that I didn't know his name.

"It's ok. Come on, it's just this way a little farther. I have something I want to show you. Wait, I don't know your name yet."

"It's Alice."

"Alice. I like that. Ok, Alice, follow me. Up here is something really cool, I think you'll like it."

He started walking and then smirked back over his shoulder at me, just as my eyes had come to rest on his ass. I looked away pointedly but once his head is turned I couldn't help but stare again. Besides, it's been awhile since I was flirting with anyone this young or attractive. I mean, thirty isn't that old, and I keep myself in shape. All those years of ballet had done me some good at least.

I could hear water rushing, but couldn't see anything yet. Jasper was hurrying ahead and I had to almost jog to keep up with him. He started to slow and by the time I caught up he had stopped right in front of a waterfall that fell into a small clear pool. He started shucking off his shoes and shirt before I realized what is going on.

I cleared my throat.

"Are we swimming? Because that wasn't on the tour description and I don't have a suit on under this." I gestured to my body, his eyes following their path.

"You have underwear on, right?" His eyebrow rose mockingly and I shivered.

Damn him.

I was wearing my new La Perla Black Label bra and panties and didn't want to ruin them in some disgusting, dirty tropical water. There could be animals in there. I stared at the ground, angry that I hadn't planned ahead better. Then I looked up just in time to see him unbuttoning his shorts. I started breathing a little too heavy, and closed my eyes to calm down. But when I opened them he was standing in just his black boxer briefs, smiling at me before he walked into the water.

I stood there, trying to decide what to do. And then some crazed parrot swooped by my head, scaring the hell right out of me. He started convulsing with laughter, splashing around in the water.

"Oh, real nice. I am being attacked by militant poultry and you're laughing. Some tour guide you are."

"Come in the water with me, then. You just need to take the plunge." He was still laughing. "Pun intended."

Oh great, he's using puns now. Wonderful.

Fine, I give up. I'll get in the water if it will keep me from being eaten alive by wildlife. I closed my eyes and took my shirt off. I heard him gasp and thought to myself_, Well, I guess this bra was worth the $250 I spent on it._ When I slid my shorts down my legs, he started moving towards me quickly. Thank god, I had gotten a thorough wax job at the salon last week. I got in the water and he pulled me onto his chest.

"Let me give you a hand." His voice was low as his breath tickled my ear.

His hands start roaming greedily, smoothing over my backside before sliding up my ribs. My skin tingled everywhere his hands touched it. He was staring at my tits in my bra, which was now soaked and completely see through, licking his lips.

I laughed, tipping his chin up and said, "I'm up here."

He got flustered, and blushed. "You make me nervous."

"Well, the feeling is mutual," I replied, glad I wasn't the only one intimidated.

He grinned and brushed his hand down my face. "Oh, really?"

"Hey! You're just as nervous as I am; how can you get cocky about it?"

"What can I say; I am a twenty-one year old guy with a hot girl in his arms."

I gasped a little. I mean, I knew he was young, but to be naked with someone ten years younger was a whole different story.

"Alice, I know you are older then me, but you can't be older than 25."

Twenty-five. That wasn't _too_ long ago.

I didn't correct him, and soon I couldn't because his lips were on mine. I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to.

And I didn't want to.

We kissed, floating around each other, grabbing, pinching. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he moaned, grinding himself against me. He leaned down to run his nose along the edge of my bra, before dipping down to suck one nipple into his hot mouth. When he bit down, I had to stop him.

"Hey, be careful with the La Perla, buddy."

I pushed off of him and waded over to the side, taking off my bra and laying it out carefully. He followed me and I could feel him behind me, rubbing up against my back. I moaned at the contact, and leaned back against his chest, letting him support me. His hands skimmed my waist, before dragging up towards my breasts. He cupped my breasts, his fingertips brushing and plucking lightly at my nipples until my back was arching and my pussy was dripping. I slid one arm up and back, pulling his head down towards mine as the other braced me against the rocks. He slid his hands down my sides, finally slowing when they reached my hips. Trailing kisses down my spine as moved, he bent down to take off my thong. He bit my ass after I stepped out of them and I squealed and turned around, a little afraid that he had some kind of weird ass fetish.

As soon as I turned he scooped me up, setting me on the rocks in front of him.

"Oh, god, Alice…" He groaned.

I giggled as his gaze roamed all over my body, as if he wasn't sure where to start. But then it settled on my tits, and as he leaned in to start sucking on my nipples, his eyes closed and he made the most amazing sound.

I felt more desirable than I ever had and I leaned back on my arms, my own eyes closing. His hands grazed my thighs and he mouth left my breasts to begin licking his way down my body, blowing cool air where his mouth has been. I shivered and opened my eyes to see that he had arrived at my pussy. His fingers stroked up and down my freshly waxed mound, his eyes following their movement. I couldn't help the moan that escaped and he grinned wolfishly at me before lowering his head.

Using his fingers to open me up, he focused his attention on my clit, sucking and then dragging his tongue back and forth. I dug my fingers into his hair and wrapped my legs around his head, my heels digging into his back as the pleasure grew. My hips began shaking, my release so close that when he started flicking his tongue quickly, I felt myself peak. My body was bucking and he continued, driving me over the edge.

As the tremors slowed, he pulled me back down into the water, driving himself into me. He was huge and I was too weak from my own orgasm to hold on, so I just wrapped my arms and legs around him and floated, letting him move my body where he wanted it. We were moving towards the waterfall, and I could feel the spray hitting me. It tingled and I laughed, leaning back to let the drops fall on my chest and shoulders. The spray was heavier now that we were closer to the falls, and I held on to his shoulders tightly as he held onto my hips.

I relished the feeling of him stretching me, our bodies hot as cool spray fell over me. I dug my nails into his skin and he started pounding his hips into me. His thrusts were so powerful that I was bouncing, my tits were bouncing, and he was staring at them, entranced.

I clenched around his cock and he moaned, stumbling.

"Oh, god, do that again." He pulled me closer, our chests brushing up against each other, each squeeze punctuated by his moans. I could feel my orgasm just out of reach, and then he sped up, pushing into me faster. I arched in his arms, my body shaking as we came, tensing and moaning. I collapsed on his chest, his arms holding me close.

We stayed in the water for a while just floating and swimming. I wasn't sure I could walk after that round. He assured me that he was up for more, but wanted to take me to lunch first.

"My treat, for the birthday girl." He had his arm wrapped around my waist.

I felt guilty with the mention of my birthday. I hadn't corrected him when he assumed that I was only twenty-five, and it was bothering me.

"Look, Jasper. Today is my thirtieth birthday. Not my twenty-fifth. I just didn't want to lie to you about it."

I let out a big breath, thirty wasn't so bad I needed to lie. It was nothing

"It's cool. I don't care either way, Alice. It's just a number, right?"

Yep, just a number.

"So, where are you taking me for lunch?"

"Well, actually I was going to take you to my place and cook for you. Is that okay? I know it's not that fancy, but I am a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself." He looked at me expectantly.

"That sounds great. I just need to be back by tonight, I am supposed to meet my friends for dinner to celebrate."

"No problem. We have plenty of time. Let's go, my car is at the resort."

I was sure I would make it back in time for dinner. Things don't always turn out the way you think though.

Sometimes they turn out much better.

---

**ROSALIE**

--

**Christmas Sand in My Christmas Crack**

**--**

I should have just stayed at home. At least I would have been around my family, even if I couldn't stand them, but no. I had to listen to Alice and Bella. I had to tag along. I had to follow them down to "Paradise".

I could have been at home in my old room, my mom downstairs listening to Burl Ives, paying attention to my siblings who loved her enough to settle down and give her grandchildren. I could have a few minutes of blissful silence, to myself.

Instead I was surrounded my strangers, old sun burnt, annoying strangers, on my ass in the sand.

Alice figured it was just what we needed. A trip to Puerto Rico, just us girls, to spend Christmas in all our unwedded, thirty-something bliss on the beach, away from our nagging mothers and our co-workers who had invited us over out of pity, thinking we'd be spending the holidays alone.

Being on the beach sounded like a much better idea.

And I was on the beach all right, sweaty and covered in sand, my knee completely fucked up. I don't know what possessed me to dive for the ball. I haven't played beach volleyball in years, but I'm in great shape and I was the youngest person on the court that day. Go figure that the 60 year old lady next to me had perfect joints and I had to be the one to land on her leg all wrong.

"Someone is coming to have a look at your knee," this old man said. His breath was making me gag. I could smell the death on him.

I looked up to see one of the hot cabana boys running towards us, shirtless, in his resort employee shorts.

"I don't think so man. It wouldn't really work like that," he yelled at the lifeguard, laughing.

"Here's the doctor, Honey," said a sun toasted old lady.

"What?" she had to be joking. The old lady was pointing at the cabana boy.

"Hi," he stopped beside me, crouching down. "Hurt yourself during a little volleyball?"

"Ah- yeah. I – ah think I sprained it." He was –gorgeous. Blue eyes. Tall, at least 6'5. Muscles for days. Dark hair. Tan. Perfect teeth.

He was hot. Really, really hot from head to toe, but he couldn't have been any older than 20.

"You're the doctor?" I asked. I instantly wished I wore my red bikini instead of this hideous Speedo one piece.

"No. I'm the physical therapist. Well the masseur," he mocked himself playfully.

"The guy who just had a heart attack in the lobby took priority. Sorry." He smirked and these ridiculously cute dimples dented his perfect cheeks.

"Oh."

"Come on. Let's get you inside." I was about to protest, but before I could his arm was wrapped around my waist and he was lifting me up – effortlessly. When I was off my ass, his other arm swept under my legs and he cradled me against my chest.

He looked at me for a moment, our faces really close together. "We wouldn't want you to get a nasty sunburn."

I couldn't say or do anything_. What was wrong with me?_ I was letting this kid have an affect on me.

"Thanks," I muttered.

I couldn't make myself look away from his face. His lips were just –

He walked right past the resort clinic.

"Where are we going?"

"My -- office."

We walked through the spa into another dimly lit room. A dimly lit room with a single massage table. He placed me gently on it.

"There we are," he breathed, looking me deep in the eye.

"Thanks," I muttered. When he turned I was able to snap out of it. Yeah he was hot, but he was young, too young.

I pushed myself up and rested my head against the wall. He walked to the other side of the room and turned on some soft music, soothing tribal tones. This was precious. Really cute. He was actually trying to seduce me. How adorable.

"What are you, like 12?"

"Ha…no I'm 23, but thanks. I try to take care of myself. You're what 35, 36?"

I could feel my nostrils flare. Who the fuck did he think he was?

"No. 31 actually."

"Well you look good," he smiled.

"Thanks." Prick.

"You do. We get a lot of women in here your age. You look 22, but the demeanor, I mean you just act older." I didn't really know how to take it so I just watched his ass as he walked to the other side of the room and grabbed a small stool on wheels.

It was a perfect ass.

"You here with your family?" I looked up and he was looking over his shoulder, at me, staring at his ass.

"Um, no," I snapped out of it. "Here with some girlfriends."

He kicked the stool closer to the table and "That's cool. I have a few buddies working down here too. We'll do Christmas together."

"Sounds like fun," I said sarcastically. "Can you, uh get examining. I do have plans later."

"Sure thing, Ma'am."

I glared at him. I wondered if US laws on murder apply in Puerto Rico.

"It's Rosalie Hale. Not Ma'am," I corrected him.

"Emmett. Nice to meet you."

I tried not to stare at his sizable package as he grabbed the stool between his legs and pulled it the last few feet over to me.

Emmett put his hands on me then and I hate to admit it, but I jumped a little. He smirked, keeping his fingers on my leg. They were strong, but smooth and warm. He must be a great masseuse. I pushed the thought from my mind. One, he really was too young and two – the idea of him rubbing my whole body was making me really wet.

"I don't actually think it's a sprain. Does that hurt?" He applied a little pressure just below my kneecap. My pussy throbbed.

"Not too much," I said trying to control my breathing.

I was slightly disappointed when he pushed away from the table over to a mini fridge in the corner, but only slightly. He was such a punk. He slid back over with an ice pack in his hand.

"An ice pack? How much of the cost of this trip is going to your salary?" I asked.

"Well, you don't exactly need surgery. So it's the ice pack…" he leaned forward, his lips dangerously close to my knee. His arm wrapped around my thigh and he slid a little closer. "Or I can kiss it and make it better."

I don't know if he could tell, but I was dripping this point. Literally sitting in a puddle of my own goo and I accidentally, fuck I can't believe I did it, -- I whimpered.

He chuckled darkly and released my leg. "The ice should work just fine."

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll do the trick." Fucker. I swung my legs over the edge of the table and took a crack at standing up.

"Where you running off too?" he asked reaching out to support me.

"I got it. I'm going back to my room, unless it's necessary for me to apply ice in your presence. I promise I'll bring it back" I waved the blue brick in the air.

"You don't have to. We have plenty more," He smirked. I looked away. Fucking dimples.

I took an unsure step. My knee didn't feel great, but I could make it up to the room just fine.

"You want some crutches?" he asked with sincere concern, for the first time.

"No thanks, Junior. I got it."

"Well you have a good afternoon, Ms. Hale."

I kept myself from flicking him off and hobbled back to my room.

The rest of the afternoon I was laid up in bed, abusing the mini bar, my knee elevated. I could have gone down the lobby and helped decorate the resort tree, a huge plastic evergreen, but I just wasn't in the mood. I tried to think about work, what I'd gotten Alice and Bella for Christmas, where the hell Alice and Bella were, but I couldn't get that punk's face out of my head.

Emmett was a little bastard, but he was fucking gorgeous. Those dimples were down right lickable. His hair looked so soft. I wanted to touch it and pretty much the rest of his body.

_Fuck._

I wanted him.

So I decided. I would teach him a little lesson, for making me drool and making me blush. I'd dole out a little pussy pay back, show him what an older woman can do.

My knee was much better. He was right. The ice did help. I wanted to wear my "fuck me" heels, but I didn't want to risk it. I grabbed a pair of white strappy sandals and threw on my red wrap dress, with nothing underneath. I also grabbed the ice pack, you a "valid" reason to go back.

I will admit, when I got downstairs the whole resort looked beautiful. There were tasteful decorations everywhere. The whole island seemed to sparkle.

I passed people on their way to the beach, a bunch on their way to drinks and dinner and a couple stragglers coming from the spa.

_Excellent. He'll still be there._

I walked in and found two female employees wrapping up some used towels.

I cleared my throat. "Is Emmett still here?"

"Um yeah," the overly tan one replied. "He's in there." She pointed back towards his "office."

"Thanks," I muttered.

"No problem," she snickered.

"What is with these old bitches and Em. It's pathetic," the other girl said, not all under her breath. Stupid little girl had no idea what she was talking about.

Just as I reached the door, a woman in her late 50's walked out, looking slightly frustrated. Maybe Emmett wasn't the type to dole out happy endings on a whim. Didn't matter, I'd knew how to crack him.

I walked into the room and he was at the sink, washing his hands, mumbling to himself. He had a shirt on now, one of the white resort polos. Damn it.

I closed the door behind me.

He whipped around at the sound.

"Ah Ms. Hale what brings you back?" He cut the faucet and started drying his hands.

"This." I tossed him the ice pack.

"Thanks," he smiled. Those dimples again. "I thought you had plans."

"Well the thing about plans is they change some times." I bit my lips watching him carefully. He threw the ice pack in the mini fridge and leaned against the counter giving me his full attention.

"That's true. So what changed your plans?"

"You," I said simply. I pulled the tie at my ribs and unwrapped my dress. I slipped my hands past the fabric holding it open, my fingers wrapped around my hips.

I'll be honest, laugh lines or general maturity aside, my body, natural D cups and all, was banging, for lack of a better word. I worked out and the tits had yet to be affected by gravity or kids. I Brazilianed on a regular basis and was a huge fan of the full body exfoliation.

And I could tell by the way his shorts were straining around his dick, he liked what he saw.

He motioned to the doorknob near my elbow. "That locks," his voice was a little deeper, a whole lot sexier.

I turned quickly and locked the door. When I turned around, we looked at each other for a moment, both deciding who should make the first move. I was older, smarter, more mature, more experienced. I decided to put the poor young thing out of his misery.

"You going to just stand there and look at me? Or are you going show me what they pay you to use those hands for?"

"Well Ms. Hale, they don't pay me for what I have in mind." He closed the distance between us in one quick second, but stopped a few inches away from me. He took a moment just staring at my tits. I figured I'd help him out a little. I shrugged off the dress and threw it in the chair on the corner.

"They're real. I promise."

"Oh I know." His hand reached up and cupped my tit roughly. I tried to keep my composure, breathing deep, but Holy shit, it felt good. I wanted to throw my head back against the door and moan aloud, beg him for more, but this was my game. I couldn't let Junior here think he had the upper hand.

Emmett's other hand came up and grabbed my other tit just as firmly. I swallowed hard, looking down at his fingers. He dipped his head a little then peered up at me through his dark lashes.

"May I?" _Oh, good boy._ He was learning.

"Please," I said casually.

His tongue was just as warm and smooth as his hands. I could hold back the shiver that rippled through my body. He took turns swirling his tongue around one nipple and massaging the other. He stopped finally when he noticed my legs squirming, my body trying to create its own friction against my clit.

He stepped back and quickly tore off his shirt and his shorts. The mesh lining of the bottoms made it unnecessary for him to have to wear boxers.

His body was better than I remembered, maybe cause I was a little distracted by his perfect face. His abs mapped a perfect checkered pattern down to his extremely large, extremely hard cock. I'd been around the block a time or two, but his was the best body, the most impressive member I had ever seen.

And I was wasting too much time looking at it.

"Where do you want me?" he asked.

"Where ever you think is best," I chuckled a bit. Something clouded his eyes then and he marched right back over to me. He grabbed me roughly by the wrist and pulled me towards the table. Before I could object I was bent over, my tits pressed against the cold leather.

He teased my entrance just for a second. I was dripping wet. He knew I was ready. Christmas came a few hours early when he slammed his huge cock into me. I couldn't hold in my cries anymore. It felt so good.

He gripped my hips, pumping into me over and over. My eyes wouldn't stay open. My tongue licked my lips uncontrollably at the sensation. I may just have to ask Santa if I could take him home with me. I had never been fucked this good.

Several minutes and two orgasms on my part later, he pulled out. I groaned, annoyed. I wasn't done yet, but then neither was he. His arm wrapped around my waist. It was useless to fight against his brute strength. He lifted me up and quickly spun my around, switching our positions. He sat on the edge of the table and hoisted me up by my ass. My legs wrapped around his waist and he lowered me on to his throbbing cock.

This was better. Much better. I started to ride him, his one hand holding me in place. His other hand drifting up my neck, where he started my massaging me to the rhythm of my strokes. There was not way in hell this kid was 23.

I moaned his name as he hit my g-spot at one particular angle, making me come again. My body was losing control. He gripped my neck and pulled my face to his, kissing me slowly and sensually. I'd never been kissed this good before either. His lips were soft, but urgent. His tongue strong, but sweet.

Our lips remained locked as our bodies grinded together, through every second of his release and mine.

Finally we were spent, our chests heaving, our foreheads pressed together. He stood slowly and placed me back on the ground. I fought the urge to rush back into his arms and cling to his perfect warm body.

_Get a hold of yourself. This is a vacation hook up. Nothing more._ I shook the notion off.

I looked at the clock. I was only a few minutes late meeting the girls. I threw my dress back on and fixed my hair.

"You still have plans cause some of my buddies and I---"

"Actually, yeah. I have to meet my friends for dinner," I told him. I was kind of being a bitch, but whatever. I would probably never see him again.

"Okay well. I guess I'll see you around, maybe." He sounded a little disappointed. The young ones, always getting attached.

I walked over to him and stood on my tip-toes. He bent forward so I could kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks Em. Really, that was—"

"Not what you expected from a 23 year old?"

"Yeah something like that." I kissed him once more and then took off to find the girls. I wonder if their day had been as interesting as mine.

--

**BELLA**

--

**Ditched and Rescued**

**--**

_Is that…is that what I think it is? Oh my god, is that a worry line?_

_Shit, shit, shit._

_I knew it… as soon as I hit thirty shit starts going downhill. I hopeMmom was wrong, and my boobs aren't sagging already._

I quickly stripped out of all my clothes and stood naked in front of the mirror. I inspected every inch of skin that I could.

Everything looked the same, I was the same. I looked at the two stretch marks on my upper right thigh. _Yep, still there._ I finished my inventory and as I grabbed my bikini I thought about the reason for my sudden influx of anxiety. Alice was turning 30 today. I had turned 30 just a few months back and I was still dealing with the thought of being single and in my thirties.

This Christmas vacation was pretty out of the norm for me, well for all of us. I usually just tried to survive the family rounds and barely managed that. But the holidays, in general, always meant feeling older. Every year I got more and more questions about why I wasn't happily married with baby on board. And to top it all off, Renee would always have some dork lined up to be my date. But not this year, this year I was calling the shots.

I finished getting ready, and was headed out the door. I felt in need of some strong "morning brew", and not of the coffee variety. Technically it wasn't morning anymore but I was on vacation so I decided to just go with it. Alice had left really early for her excursion and Rose was right behind her, citing her need to "sweat it out". I was on my own for the day, and since it was already noon I settled on heading down to the pool and grabbing a quick bite at the bar there. We had agreed to meet for dinner and drinks tonight so I had a few hours to kill before.

A few minutes later I found myself a good spot next to the pool with a fruity drink in one hand, and my trashy romance novel in the other. I was ready for a nice relaxing Christmas Eve day.

Just as I was getting to the good part in my book a flash of reflected sunlight caught my eye. I looked up and saw…him.

_Holy fuck. Thank god for Flintstones vitamins. _Not even Santa Claus himself could have built a better man. The lifeguard, or life-boy; as I should say, was tall and muscular. His skin was a golden tone that could only be acquired by constant exposure to the Caribbean sun. _His hair, oh god and his hair_. It was the most beautiful shade of reddish-brown streaked with bronze tones. But who was I kidding? I wasn't looking at his hair. I was looking at the way his muscles tensed up as he raised his arms high towards the sky in a stretch.

He had the physique of a swimmer. Phelps had nothing on him. _I wonder how his abs would feel as they twitch under my tongue. Gah, what is wrong with me?_  
_  
_I watched him as he walked to the edge of the pool and held my breath. _No, please don't get in, I could not bear to have him... yup. There he goes._ He assumed perfect form and dove right into the water. Shit, misting, moist, wet, that was m_e _in my new bathing suit.

I closed my mouth with an audible snap. Ok, bring up the sexual predator paperwork. Sign me up right this minute because I have gone insane. I blame the hormones. Maybe the lack of snow and the abundance of sunlight was affecting my brain. I knew it was Christmas Eve but it sure as hell didn't feel like it. Something had happened, causing me to ogle this boy like he was a piece of young, fresh meat.

_So youthful and full of energy, I bet he could go all night. _Fuck, I needed another drink.

As I stood to get a refill I peaked at him from under my sunglasses. Lifeguard boy was getting out of the pool. I could see the water cascading down his toned body, highlighting his muscles. He buried his hand in his hair to shake the excess water off.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and my hands twitched; I wanted to bury them in his hair, and grab him by the roots.

As he took the towel and started to dry himself off, I found myself standing there. Just standing in the middle of the terrace, staring at him. He turned towards me and his eyes twinkled as he said, "Can I _help _you with something, miss? Anything?"

Crimson, that was the color of my cheeks. I unfroze and shook my head "Oh o, thanks. I was just thinking," as I hurried away from him.  
_  
Great, now am I not only a perv, but he knows it too!_

I spent the rest of the day in a lust filled haze. I thumbed through my book but I couldn't tell you what it was about.

I _could_ tell you, however, that lifeguard boy drank 2 bottles of water and applied sunscreen starting on his left arm and ending on his right leg. He also blew his whistle once at a group of kids. I know this, not because I heard it, but because when I saw his lips touch the whistle I stopped breathing and began panting.

It didn't help that I kept catching him looking at me from time to time. But even with that, I still felt weird about it.

I should have never even started looking at him. He was obviously too young for me. What would people think? He was practically just a kid, and me? I was a strong, independent, professional thirty year old woman. That was very much hitting her sexual peak and lusting after a youngling! ACK!

_Ok, enough of the unbridled lust.  
_  
I got up and gathered my stuff, noticing it was already 3pm.  
_  
My God! Did I just spend three hours just sitting here?_

I decided to grab an iced tea and a sandwich and head up to my room to relax a bit. I was having dinner with my girls and had a couple of hours before I would need to start getting ready.

As I made my way out of the pool area I saw lifeguard boy wave goodbye as he winked. _Did he just wink at me? What a weirdo! A deliciously sculpted looking weirdo but a weirdo all the same!  
_  
After a quick nap I decided on a shower. As I lathered up I couldn't help but think about the lifeguard. The way the strong muscles of his back looked as he swam across the pool. Just the thought of what it would feel like to run my hands over them had me dripping. I re-lived my best moments from my ogling as I eased some of the "tension" I had been feeling all afternoon. _Yeah right, eased by orgasm! Ha!_

By the time I was ready I checked the time. It was pretty late and neither Rose nor Alice had returned to the room yet. They were probably out getting laid somewhere and I had a feeling I was stuck by myself. _Well, I'm still going to go out and have fun._

I finished getting ready and headed out. I skipped the Christmas themed bash in the main lobby area in favor of the more secluded bar on the lower terrace. As I got closer to the bar I could faintly hear the sound of a lovely piano piece. _Amazing, I can actually spend Christmas day without having to hear Christmas music! This place is truly heaven!_

The melody was so beautiful, hauntingly so. It made me think of everything I related to romance. Afternoon walks, legendary loves and serenades heard from a balcony. I quickened my pace while taking in my surroundings. The bar was mostly empty. When I looked up to find the source of the music I gasped quietly.

Sitting at the piano, his bronzed locks covering his eyes as he looked down, was the lifeguard. He had just finished playing the last notes and seemed to be savoring the sound that hung in the air.

When he looked up, I was lost. Whatever shred of control I had, left me as gazed into his eyes. I didn't think of age, or youth, or wrinkles or anything at all. He looked at me with piercing green eyes and I was lost. His eyes had such depth. I hadn't noticed before. I was lost.

I saw him stand up and walk toward me.

"Hi, I'm Edward," he said as he took my hand.

"Hi, Edward. I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you." And it was. Because after all the time I spent looking at him today, I was really meeting _him _now.

"Would you walk with me, Bella?" He asked his voice low and rough.

We walked along the terraces, and through the gardens, past the lighted fountains and down hidden trails, talking the whole time.

As we reached the pool, beautifully lit in greens and reds, he whispered, "Bella, can I kiss you?"

And kiss me he did. His lips were soft and strong at the same time. His tongue sliding against mine, urgent and all consuming.

Never had I felt happier to have skipped the traditional Christmas in favor for this tropical one.

Deciding it was time to really let go, I pushed him back until we made it into one of the poolside cabanas. Our kisses became more frantic, aided by the new secluded location. I sighed as I thought of all the different times I had imagined doing this all throughout the day.

My breath left me abruptly as I felt his hands trailing up my sides. _God, he feels amazing_. His hands were grabbing at me like he couldn't get enough and I needed more. As I thought of this I noticed his hands were trembling a bit. _Was he nervous?_ I realized I would need to lead the way if I wanted it to move past this point. With this in mind I pushed him until the back of his knees hit a lounge chair and he sat down.

"Relax, just let go," I told him.

I started to kiss down his neck and as I got to the collar of his shirt I opened it up a bit to reach more of his skin. He tasted salty and so good.

"Wait, no, shouldn't I be..." he started.

"Shh, let me do this. I need it," I said in between kisses.

I started unbuttoning his shirt and as I uncovered more of his skin I kissed and nipped at it. I could feel his muscles twitching underneath my lips. And just as I had seen earlier, his chest was magnificent.

As I followed the line of his abs down, getting near the top of his pants his breath quickened. I opened up his pants and he was hard and beautiful. I slid his pants and boxers down his legs, before lowering my head to him and enveloping him with my mouth.

"Ahh... fuck," he grunted as I bobbed my head up and down his cock.

I had never felt as bold and powerful as I did in this moment, when I was giving him this. His head was thrown back in pleasure, and he would to lose control sometimes, raising his hips up to meet my mouth groaning as he moved.

One minute I was sucking him and the next he had grabbed me by the shoulders and gently pushed me away. Before I could even pout though, he surprised me by standing up, taking hold of my summer dress and almost ripping it off of me. He pushed the straps from my shoulders and quickly uncovered my breasts. His mouth was instantly on them, feverish as he sucked on my hardened nipples. Now it was my turn to throw my head back in pleasure.

He was so eager. I could feel him all over me, his hands, his mouth, his cock hard against my stomach. He had taken me over and I didn't want him to ever let go.

As he sat down again on the lounge chair and pulled me to him, I giggled as I thought of the position we were in. Thankfully we were inside the cabana and no one could see us. It would have been hard to explain, especially since Edward was completely naked and I was half way there.

I stood in front of him silently as he slowly slipped my panties down my legs; his fingers leaving a wake of fire and warmth as they trailed over my skin. He grabbed me by the hips, guiding me down into his lap and I straddled him on the chair.

We both moaned as I lowered myself onto him. I moved myself down and slowly engulfed him in my warmth. We both shuddered and sat still, connected in the most intimate way, before we moved again.

To say that I loved this position was an understatement. As I moved up and down his shaft I had the most perfect view of his face. His eyes followed my breasts as they bounced in time with my slow movements. The slow pace didn't last long; he quickly grabbed my hips and forcing me to move up and down faster. His mouth covered my breasts again.

He was amazing, tonight was amazing.

Needing to feel more I took hold of the back of the chair behind Edward and used it as leverage to move faster. I could feel my orgasm building down in my belly, I was so close. As if he could sense it, Edward started to raise his hips from the chair, thrusting up inside of me. His hands stayed on my hips and he brought himself deeper into me. The only sounds I could hear were our quickened breathing and our skin slapping together. Heavenly.

"Oh Bella, God you feel so amazing", he panted.

"Hmm, keep going, I'm going to..." I tried to answer him but I was lost to all coherent thoughts. I was almost ready to come and I focused on the wave of pleasure that was engulfing me. His thrusts became faster and more frantic as he pushed me over the edge. Wave after wave crashed onto me as I moaned his name in ecstasy.

Edward followed soon after, his face focused in pleasure, as I felt him tense up, then shudder and shake beneath me.

**Christmas Night**

**---**

"Is this even legal? I mean can we really have a fire burning away at the beach?" I asked Alice as I tugged harder on Rose's arm.

"Oh, stop it Bella, it's just a bonfire," responded Alice. "Rose will you knock it off already?"

"These guys better be ultra cute and you both better be getting ultra laid," huffed Rose. She really was not feeling like being here tonight. After figuring out the boys knew each other, Alice and I had to beg her to come with us to meet Jasper and Edward. When that didn't work we resorted to guilt tripping her into coming. Alice was a master in that art. She reminded her not only that it was Christmas day, but that we were still celebrating Alice's birthday.

Since Alice and I had been otherwise too busy engage in a real birthday celebration, we used that too. Rose caved in, and now we were dragging her with us to the beach to meet the boys.

_Boys_, I couldn't help but snicker as I thought about that. They were indeed boys. Hot boys that we were meeting at a very romantic bonfire, after having hot monkey sex with the day before. And this morning, and afternoon.

As we got near them, I could see Alice's face light up as she smiled. I was about to scoff when I saw Edward stand up and I could suddenly feel my face mimic Alice's. We both released our hold on Rose and walked ahead of her to meet the boys.

Jasper came over and quickly enveloped Alice in a hug, lifting her feet off the ground. He seemed so sweet as he kissed her nose, her cheeks, her forehead. Alice was running her hands through his blonde locks.

Quietly, I stood next to Edward and grabbed his hand, he squeezed it and gave me a quick kiss and nuzzled his face into my hair.

We sat around the fire, there wasn't a lot of talking, mostly groping and a lot of hands down shirts and pants.

Rose sat there, looking at the fire looking super pissed. I tried to muster an ounce of guilt, but she had said we better be getting ultra laid. I was just trying not to disappoint her.

I heard a sharp intake of breath and I disentangled my self from Edward to see someone approaching us.

He looked big, really big. With dark curly hair and a friendly face.

"What up, Fellas," he boomed into the quiet night. "Ladies.."

Jasper introduced us to Emmett and when he got to Rosalie, Emmett interrupted him.

"We've meet before," he said. Rosalie stood and Emmett inched a little bit closed to her.

_Wait, what? Did he say 'met before'?_

I looked up at Rose, confused. I looked at Alice and found her looking as confused as I felt. Rose just sat there looking a bit… relieved?

"I'm sorry about before," Rose mumbled.

My mouth closed with a snap. Rose was apologizing to a _guy,_ a younger guy at that and I still had no idea what was going on.

"It's ok, you're here now," he said as he took her hand and sat next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders and Rose just snuggled right into him.

When they started making out I tuned them out and looked for Alice. She was sitting on Jasper's lap and he was stroking her back as he hummed softly to her. From time to time he would point up at a star and whisper in her ear. She just giggled like a schoolgirl. I had never seen her so relaxed... and happy.

With my focus now back on Edward, I was sitting in between his legs and as I snuggled deep into his embrace I heard him sigh.

"You know, I would have never dreamed today would end up this way," I whispered to him.

"I know, yesterday all I could think of was how horrible it was that I had to work on Christmas Eve. Then you showed up at the pool and everything went downhill from there."

"What do you mean downhill?" I asked him. I thought yesterday and today had been pretty amazing.

"Well, there I was trying to save lives, and all I could think of all day was how good you looked sitting there, pretending to read a book. I barely could keep it together all day. I still have no idea if anyone drowned today or not. I guess I'll know when I show up to work tomorrow."

I had to chuckle at his logic. To think that I had spent the whole day on this covert cougar operation. I guess I should have just trusted that Santa would get me what I wanted after all.

**Ahh, it's so tasty. **

**What's next in store? We're having a tough time picking our favorites. Some are so well-written that it just makes the choice tough. You guys have made us laugh and made us wet, and for this we thank you.**

**Stay tuned for the next installment!**


	4. Chapter 4

**back for more, little red ryders?**

**This next one wins the Best Use of Whipped Cream Award for creativity.**

**Both jandco and wtvoc adored this one for its simple premise and effective storytelling. Honestly, the writing was lovely, the execution was solid, and well. We love us a good ending.**

**Now it can be argued that the devices used to lure in wtvoc were on purpose, but hell. Nothing's better than a tribute, eh? Besides, jandco was the one who kept using the adjective "adore".**

**Enjoy lemon muffins and batsu simisu-chan's story Holiday Spirit!**

(She's Got a Way With) Holiday Spirit

Oh, the Christmas season. Such a joyful time to spread goodwill toward man, give and receive, drink spiked eggnog, and reunite with family... Such a happy time.

So is it terrible that I'm having a crappy day?

I've always loved the holidays. Christmas is my favorite time of year. Or, at least it was when I was still young enough to not know better. Being the only child of divorced parents... well, it just kills your spirit at these times of years. It didn't get better as I grew older. In fact, it grew worse because I was mature enough to understand.

If I stayed with Renee for Christmas break, it would upset Charlie. If I opted for him instead, she would pout and whine and guilt me into staying with her. Which I did for several years until I realized how much it hurt Charlie in return.

One year I tried spending Christmas Eve with Charlie and Christmas day with Renee, but it turned out to be one of the worst disasters of my life. I was stressed from the general situation, and traveling in the midst of the holiday craziness didn't help matters one bit. I almost longed for the previous years of going back and forth. For Christmas with Renee, bitching about Charlie's "selfishness" at wanting me with him during New Year's. Or a Christmas with Charlie and having her call me up, crying about how much she misses me and that the lights don't look right on the tree.

Well, to put it plain and simple, I was tired of it. _Tired_.

When Alice, my incredibly hyper best friend, found out about my plans for Christmas—which sadly included me in front of the television, watching really cheesy holiday films and eating all the junk food I could manage to find—she _persuaded_ me to come stay with her and her family for the holiday.

"_It'll be boring,"_ she had told me, _"But no one is going to fight over you. Unless that's what you want. I have some really cute cousins, Bella."_ Then she winked. Apparently my lack of dates frustrated her and she was always trying to set me up with some guy or another.

I didn't want to interrupt her family time and I didn't want to be a nuisance to them all, but she kept begging, and pleading, and _threatening_. She's a vicious girl, that friend of mine. Although Mr. and Mrs. Brandon would of course be nice to me, I still felt like I was being a burden by forcing my company on them all. I knew that they, along with Alice and her boyfriend Jasper, would never think ill of me, but that didn't halt my irrational thoughts. Eventually I caved. No one could tell Alice no (and live to tell the tale).

I decided to go to her house for Christmas, hoping that maybe this would turn out all right. Maybe I would have a great, blissful (if ignorant) Christmas, like when I was a little girl. Yeah... And Charlie and Renee would get back together. I had given any up hope of that years ago.

I had met most of Alice's family before since I had met Alice back in my freshman year of college at NYU (which was an far enough away from both parents so they'd never be able to accuse me of favoritism between the two of them), and when we ended up being roommates, I got to know her immediate family pretty well. They welcomed me into their home warmly on the holiday, excited to have me around, just as I knew they would.

And I met all of her extended family, as well. All kinds of heavily-perfumed aunts, perverted uncles, and one really foul-smelling cousin. I prayed that this wasn't the cousin she deemed to be "cute". Alice assured me that the one she wanted me to meet would be arriving the next day and he wasn't nearly as dysfunctional as her eighty year old great-uncle, who insisted that I hold his hand while I walked him to the bathroom (and tried to grope me the entire way). Everyone viewed me with pity when he threw an insistent tantrum as Mrs. Brandon tried to get someone else—particularly someone in the family—to do it instead.

I was starting to feel bad though. Being Jasper and Alice's third wheel as I clung to them for my sanity was not fun. It was actually quite depressing. More so than hearing Renee cry on the other end of the phone that she needed me to help her set up the Christmas tree or that the cranberry sauce she was trying to make exploded. Or maybe that just added to it. Renee knows how to manipulate me into doing what she wants.

And just seeing Alice and her immediate family so happy together, as a little niche of a regular family throughout the dysfunction surrounding them, made my heart hurt a little bit. I wished that I could have had a nice family Christmas, rather than having been forced to be subjected to our own brand of Swan Family Craziness year in and year out. Seeing a whole family enjoying themselves together made me feel left out, despite the fact that they all tried to include me in everything... Mrs. Brandon even let me bake the cherry pie for her... but sadly all their effort was in vain and I just felt like a an intruder in their happiness.

Add on the fact that I had to witness Alice and Jasper cuddling and finding excuses to "accidentally" end up under the mistletoe didn't help matters. It just proved that I was alone in more ways than one. Sitting next to them on the couch, giggling softly at some unheard joke was... Depressing? Disturbing? A large combination of both?

At least I got to first base, though. Alice's dog, Sandy, pushed me into the wall and licked my face so thoroughly I could have sued for sexual harassment. And won. Against a freaking fifteen year old _dog_. Oh, yeah, _that_ is how my day went.

I already missed Charlie and Renee and it was like getting lost in the forest by yourself at Alice's. I didn't want to feel lonely in a room full of people. That completely defeated the purpose of being around people, didn't it? And Alice and Jasper were not making me feel any better at all, being so in love with each other when I was by myself (not to sound selfish or anything).

I excused myself, making my way up the stairs and into Alice's old bedroom to hide out for a few minutes. When I reached my destination, I sighed loudly, chewing on my lip and sinking down onto the bed. This was a _terrible_ idea. I should have stayed at home, like I was planning, with my movies. It wasn't too late. It was only about six-thirty. That meant a whole night and day of sulking at home watching Christmas specials.

With that finally decided, I wondered how to make my escape. _Should I slip out the back door and call Alice to let her know after?_

That idea sounded bad. It wasn't a particularly good idea to piss off my dearest friend this time of year. Just like it wasn't a good idea to not do what she wants. I sighed again. I had to be firm on this. I didn't want to be stuck here, sucking up the fun of the family because I was feeling low. That wasn't fair of me, especially since they didn't have to let me come. I felt extremely ungrateful for not having a wonderful time.

I snuck out to the back door, unseen and unnoticed, thinking of excuses to quell Alice's wrath for skipping out on her. I needed to think of a good one, since I sucked at lying.

But then Mrs. Brandon saw me. I worried for a moment about hurting her feelings, but I didn't need to. She was always such an understanding person.

"We're out of whipped cream to finish off the pies for tomorrow," she said, smiling sympathetically at me. "Would you mind terribly going to the store to pick some up for me, Bella, sweetie? That special kind at the store around the corner from your and Alice's apartment?"

Mrs. Brandon was a godsend. I nodded, gave her a hug, and drove back into the city. Dealing with the traffic was worth it to be able to rest at home for the rest of the night.

Next door to the small corner grocery store with the amazing whipped cream she wanted was a little mom and pop coffee shop. Even though I had planned on going straight home, I really didn't want to. What did I have waiting there for me there? Since my life sucked, absolutely nothing, so I figured that I'd step in and get myself a drink and maybe a muffin to snack on at home. I figured it'd be responsible to have something semi-healthy to go along with the barrage of chips, cookie dough and ice cream I was sure to consume later.

I strolled in without tripping (amazingly enough), little bells ringing as I opened the door. The place was surprisingly crowded on this day preceding the the birth of Christ, considering the lack of cars parked outside, but I figured that most of the people walked or took a cab; hardly anybody drove their own cars in the city. I stood in line, looking at their selection of pastries, deciding in the end on a cinnamon roll muffin to go with a lemon chai tea. Lemons were sour, like my mood, so it seemed fitting in a strange way, but those muffins were utterly delicious. I think things were evened out.

A scraggly old man who seemed to be missing teeth and wearing some dirty clothes—homeless, perhaps?— was in line in front of me. He sniffed me.

_Well, you decided to leave Alice and her family behind for __this__. So, suck it up, Isabella Swan,_ I told myself as I slowly made my way up the counter, flashed the poor girl behind the counter a smile, and gave her my order. I received a weary smile in return before she turned to make my drink.

My order came up and I went back to the counter to grab it, bumping into someone on the way. It smelled like a guy: dark and musky but with a hint of something sweeter, like cookies... snickerdoodles, perhaps. My nose twitched.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" I said, glad that I didn't have my drink in my hand, yet.

"Quite alright," a velvety voice responded, making me stop dead in my tracks. I didn't want to look up and see this stranger's face, because if his voice was any indication of his looks, then I was in deep trouble; I had always had a weak spot for handsome men...

But, since I had said weak spot, I _had_ to look. And I was both excited and disturbed by the outcome. I was greeted by familiar bronze hair, green eyes, and jeans (though loose) that were just tight enough to... I mentally sighed, remembering the last time I had sex. The seven months had made me nothing more than a large bundle of hormones. I decided to stop staring at his... _jeans_, shall we say, before I got caught, and continued my observation of the rest of his clothing that I had passed over in favor of the more interesting part of his anatomy.

That's when I saw it: an ugly red reindeer sweatshirt assaulted my vision. I tried not to laugh at the gorgeous man wearing the hideous clothes, but failed miserably.

He rolled his eyes, and I was afraid I'd offended him, but he chuckled, too. "My mom knit it for me. I wore it for the video conference I just had on the phone with her before I came here," he explained. I nodded, not trusting myself to be able to open my mouth without giggling again.

"Lemon tea and a cinnamon roll?" the barista called out again, and I turned to pick up my order. I turned back around and saw another glimpse of the sweater, so I burst out laughing once more.

He sighed with a small smile on his face, and took the sweater off, practically making me pant with the way he flexed his arms unconsciously as he did so, and the small silver of pale abdominals that were revealed for a moment before he pulled down the plain white shirt he was wearing underneath it. I tried not to ogle. I think I failed...

"Large hot chocolate!" the barista called, and he stepped around me, successfully stopping my eyes from wandering over his body.

"Shall we sit?" The man called over his shoulder to me, walking to the only empty table in the back corner. I followed silently, forgetting that I was supposed to be doing something, and sat down across from him, toying idly with the rim of my cup of tea and avoiding his gaze.

"Do you have a thing for lemons?" he asked, nodding at my tea after a moment of awkward silence. I wanted to laugh at his silly question.

"Not particularly," I responded quietly. Yes, I'm quite the conversationalist, I know. I decided to try again. "I was going for a theme, and it seemed to fit my mood at the moment."

"Sour?" he asked. I nodded, feeling a little stupid at my confession. He pushed his drink into my line of vision, and I stared at the plain hot chocolate for a moment before looking up at him. "Hot chocolate," he said as if it meant something. He rolled his eyes playfully at me and elaborated. "Dark."

"Ah..." I nodded.

"And plain. No milk, whipped cream, or anything to even try to spice it up. I accept it as is."

"And why is your Christmas Eve so dark and plain?" I wondered out loud. "Don't you have anyone to spend the holiday with to... _spice_ it up?" I asked, borrowing his word.

"No. I attempted spending time with my best friend and his wife and family, but I felt as if I was intruding on their time together. And my parents are out of town; I unfortunately couldn't join them. You?" He took a long sip from his drink.

"I'm in a similar situation. I also tried to spend time with my friend's family, but I felt like a third wheel the whole time, especially watching her cozy up to her boyfriend."

He nodded knowingly. "And your family? What of them?"

I sighed. "This is my first Christmas away from both of my parents. They divorced when I was really young, and I tended to spend the holidays with Renee-"

"Your mother?"

"Yes. But when I got older, I realized how sad it must have made Charlie-"

"Your father." This time it wasn't a question. I smiled.

"Yes. He must have been lonely spending all that time alone, and I heard it in his voice when I talked to him over the phone. So I went with him one year, and Renee only made me feel guilty for it."

"That's not very maternal of her."

"I agree. It's always seemed like I'm the mother and she's the child in our relationship. But anyway, after a failed attempt at splitting the holiday time between them, we tried to have Christmas together. Charlie came out to Phoenix to see us, and they both argued a lot. I figured it was because Charlie felt uncomfortable around Phil. That would be my stepdad," I added in when he opened his mouth to confirm. He smirked at me, and I blushed slightly, looking down at the table to continue my story.

"So Renee and I went out to Forks, Washington to visit him the next year while Phil spent that time with his parents in Florida. But the fighting still went on because Forks makes Renee irritible."

"Hence her living so far away to Phoenix, yes?"

"Yes," I said once again. It was actually semi-therapeutic to get all this off my chest. "So, last year, they both came here. When they fought the whole time _again_, I figured out that the setting and current company had no bearing on it. They just couldn't get along. I may be an adult, but to them... Well, I'm the only thing they still want to fight over. This year I decided that I was tired of dealing with all their crap, so I would spend the holidays independently."

"But you didn't. You spent it with your friend."

"Yes, after Alice's insistent begging for a week straight. I kind of wish that I didn't tell her about my plans so I could have just stayed home in peace."

"And avoided all of this Holiday Spirit nonsense?"

"Like you?" I asked, nodding my head toward his sweater that he had folded neatly on the chair beside him.

"Hey, I'm with you, there. This season sucks. That... _thing_... was just to appease my mother since I couldn't be with her and my father."

"And why is it that you couldn't go with them on their trip?"

"I have work obligations to attend to tomorrow."

_Oh!_ The mention of his work reminded me of why he looked so familiar when I first saw him.

Alice and I had gone to support Jasper at one of his guitar performances. Jasper had learned to play when he first met Alice and she said she had a thing for musicians, and Jasper had a thing for Alice. He had gone through a couple hundred dollars in lessons before discovering that Alice already liked him, and had simply meant that he would look even _hawter_ (what can I say, we were freshmen in college!) as a musician. But Jasper still played in open mic nights at local venues sometimes. And that was where I had seen him: he was playing piano, and the program said he was a regular at the club, playing there almost every night. I had always wanted to go back, but never really had a reason to. Before now.

"You're playing somewhere," I said, responding to his earlier comment, and tearing the top off my muffin to try to keep my hands from fidgeting meaninglessly.

"Indeed." He seemed amused that I knew this, and raised his eyebrow in question.

"I've seen you. I just realized... My friend's boyfriend plays guitar sometimes and-"

"Can I, ah, _butter your muffin_ for you?" he asked out of the blue.

"What?" I immediately blushed. _I can't believe he just asked me that!!!!!_

Wait. I looked down at my hands to see that they had been trying to occupy themselves and had made a mess, butter everywhere except on the actual muffin. I blushed even more.

He took that for a yes and he smiled, reaching out for it, his fingers grazing across mine as he held my hand that held the muffin still, taking the little plastic knife in his other hand to gently spread that butter all over my muffin.

I never thought I would be so turned on by unconscious innuendos involving baked goods. I looked up at his face, and he seemed unfazed. I figured that he didn't mean to have any double meanings to his words. _I'm such a perv_... the thought made me smile slightly.

"So, did you like my playing?" he asked, looking intently at the disposable knife as he set it down on a napkin.

"Well, I didn't hear much, but I was impressed by what I _did_ hear," I answered honestly.

"Do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm supposed to go back to Alice's," I said, suddenly remembering my mission to get the whipped cream for the pies. I could probably convince Alice to take it back to her parents herself so I could stay home.

"Well, I'm playing at this club off of..." his voice was cut off by the ringing of my cell phone. I looked at him apologetically as I fished it out of my big jacket pockets. The caller ID said it was Alice; I didn't want to answer.

"Where are you?" she asked sternly when I finally picked up.

"At a coffee shop. I stopped in on my way to get the-"

"Coffee shop? We have coffee here, Bella. You didn't need to waste your money. Why did you run out of here, Bella?" Another cell phone rang in the background, and the man (whose name I still didn't know) took out his phone and answered it. "Is that a man with you, Bella?" She asked, a shocked edge to her voice.

"Um, yes?" I said, not wanting him to hear what we were talking about.

"And you're having coffee with him?" she confirmed.

"Actually I'm drinking tea." Her questions were starting to grate on my Grinch-esque nerves.

"Okay! Stay there! Don't come back until you have a date with him!" She yelled through the phone, making me wince, before she hung up.

I put the cell back in my pocket and was embarrassed by the cocky smirk on the man's face. He had obviously heard Alice's parting words, though he was polite enough not to comment on the second half.

"So Mommy said you're allowed to stay and hang out after dark?" he teased.

"Yes. I've been such a good girl all this time, she doesn't expect I'll do anything naughty as of now."

His eyes narrowed playfully. "Of course you won't. If you're a naughty girl, Santa won't give you anything good."

"Santa..." I scoffed, breaking up our little banter.

"You really don't like Christmas, do you?" he asked.

"Can you blame me?"

"I suppose not, but it's still somewhat surprising."

The bells on the door chimed again and I looked to them automatically, seeing a couple around my age walk in, holding hands and wearing matching reindeer antler headbands. They were so cute it made me sad. I sighed. He looked at me, at the couple, and back to me.

"I get it. You don't _want_ to hate this time of year, you've just never had someone show you what a good time it could be."

"I suppose. I don't see that changing any time soon," I said, trying to keep my tone even, though hope was springing up at the look in his eyes.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my hand and hauling me out of my seat.

"Come where?" I asked, only barely trying to resist.

"I'm going to make sure we _both _have a good Christmas. I bet you don't even have a Christmas tree!" he said, unlocking the door to a shiny silver volvo that just happened to be parked next to my rickety old truck. I pretended I didn't recognize it.

"Well, maybe I don't, but that doesn't mean I should get into a car with a stranger whose name I don't even know."

He turned to look at me and extended his hand. I shook it. "I'm Edward Cullen. I'm a twenty-four year old struggling musician with a crappy apartment and no siblings. My parents are Carlisle, who is a surgeon, and Esme, an interior designer. They are fifty-three and fifty-one years old, and consider me their pride and joy. They still don't know that I didn't get my degree in business like they think they paid for. Is that enough information for you to trust me, and come on a ride with me?"

_Hell, yes. _"I suppose," I sighed. "Don't you want to know _my_ name, too?"

"If you feel like telling me," he grinned, opened the passenger door to his car and taking my hand to help me in.

"Bella Swan," I said, and he kissed the back of my hand before letting go.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Bella Swan." Then he closed the door and ran over to the driver's side, turning the key and blasting the heater. "Let's go find us some Holiday Spirit, now shall we?"

"'Holiday Spirit' huh?" _Is that what the kids are calling it these days..._ I smirked and blushed at my internal dialogue, and Edward looked over at me curiously. I shook my head, not wanting to tell him what I was thinking.

"Soooo...." I said. He glanced at me to let me know he was paying attention. "What exactly is the plan?"

"Christmas trees. Isn't that the number one holiday thing that needs to be done?"

"I suppose so. Wait, _trees?_"

"I told you that I wasn't too into Christmas, either. It's not my fault you didn't believe me," he teased.

"Oh? Why the sudden interest then?"

"Well, I suppose I just had no incentive before. But doing it to cheer up a pretty girl..." I blushed and he continued. "That makes it worth it."

There were Christmas trees everywhere in the tiny lot Edward had taken me to. I was surprised, what with it being so close to Christmas and all, having expecting to only find one of those Charlie Brown trees, but these here were pretty big and full with branches and pine needles. It was enough to make me want to squeal. But adult women with hot men don't squeal in excitement. At least, not out loud. Or... Yeah, that woman would _not_ be shopping for a tree while doing such, at least.

"Pick any one that you want, Bella." He grinned and I smiled back, nodding with a bit of child-like glee.

"You don't want to pick?" I asked him still, simply out of good manners and politeness. I was already eyeing this one monster of a pine; it was calling out to me.

"I'm sure that I will enjoy any tree that you want."

That was a perfect answer and I didn't need any more pushing from him to start striding over to my monster. It was tall and firm: a gorgeous tree by all standards. I glanced at it, then back at Edward who was standing behind me, an appreciative look in his eyes as he, too, stared at _my_ tree.

"Are you sure you want to buy a tree?" I needed to make sure.

"Yes. I need to get you into the Holiday Spirit," he teased me with a smile. "Is this the one that you want, then?"

It was a behemoth of a tree, and I wasn't exactly sure how Edward would strap the bad boy to his car... But hey, he wanted to and I was actually excited about it, which was the point. "Yes. This is _exactly _the one that I want."

The guy who ran the lot helped Edward secure the tree onto his car. I tried to help, but my version of help usually ended up as being a pain for everyone when it comes to lifting heavy objects. Or walking or breathing in general. Instead, I stood back, watching them struggle a bit with it. I realized, while staring at the tree, it wasn't so much tall as it was thick.

"Do you two want some mistletoe with that?" The lot owner asked us, taking a glance at me before turning to Edward. I blushed. Edward rolled his eyes.

Then he paid for the tree. I offered to help pay for half, after all, he was the one having to drive with it, but he waved off my offers, telling me that it was his right as a gentleman and that he had offered to give me a Christmas in the first place.

"I'm paying for the ornaments," I called after him as he headed back to the car. Gentleman or not, I wasn't going to let him pay for it all. He didn't give acknowledgment to my demand. Maybe he didn't hear me or maybe he chose not to. In the end, all that really mattered was that I knew that I said it, right? Right?

We got into his volvo again, driving now towards the nearest Walgreen's. We grabbed the last few cheap ornaments that the store had, colorful balls and some of those glittery snowflakes that break easily when you held them the wrong way. Edward chose classy white lights—mostly because they were the cheapest—while I picked up some silver tinsel for half a dollar. We collaborated on our topper. I wanted an angel. He wanted a more _fanciful_ angel that he said seemed to resemble me a bit. Finally, we just grabbed a star, forgetting the whole "angel" idea. Our final stop of the store was the refrigerated section, taking out a carton of eggnog, a holiday tradition.

Then there we were, checking out, my credit card in hand... when he stepped out in front of the machine, _blocking_ me.

I tripped over myself—not surprisingly—and crashed right into his back, my face pressed into his jacket. _Wow, his scent was even better up close._ Edward seemed unaffected, as always, by the fact that I had fallen right into him. He just handed _his_ money over to the cashier.

I righted myself, standing up and stepping back a few steps to stay out of his way. "I told you that I would pay, Edward. It wasn't a big deal to me."

He smiled as he handed me one of the bags. "It wasn't to me either."

The whole gentleman thing was actually turning me on. He was really good at it, and didn't make it seemed forced.

And then we pulled up in front of an apartment building and Edward was out of the car, opening my door for me before I had even finished unbuckling my seatbelt. He handed me the shopping bags, and singlehandedly hauled the tree up. It was quite the sight to see him pulling, pushing, tugging, and cursing for three flights of stairs.

Edward paused when we got to the door. "Ummm..." he began, clearly uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't really think this through at the beginning..."

"Oh," I said, hurt. "You don't want me to see your place. That's fine, I'll just-"

"No! That's not it. I just... it's not the fanciest place in the city, and it's really sloppy, and I don't think I even have room for a Christmas tree," he blushed, looking at the floor.

I ran my fingers through his hair reassuringly until he looked me in the eyes. "We'll make room."

He smiled, and began to unlock the many deadbolts on his door. Four minutes later, we were inside. And it was exactly what he had described it to be: a small studio apartment with a miniscule kitchen and dishes all over the counters in the far corner, clothes and assorted items strewn across the little floor space, a surprisingly nice bed that wasn't made, and an extremely large piano (the only thing that was completely spotless in the place).

I picked up a hat on the table next to the door and put it on my head. It was so big it flopped over my eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a warmness to his eyes.

"I'm putting on my thinking cap. We gotta fit a mammoth tree in here somehow." He chuckled and wove his way through the chairs and couch into the kitchen to put the eggnog in the fridge while I inspected the place.

"Okay, I have a plan," I told him, my hands on my hips. He raised an eyebrow at my determined stance, but I barely bothered to blush. "Help me move this crap—no offense—out of the way, and we'll move the couch against that wall, and put the chairs on top. Then the coffee table will be pushed right against it and we'll move the TV on top of that. The box has to go, though," I playfully teased, talking about the cardboard container that was both what the television it was purchased _and_ the television stand.

He snorted and complied with my wishes, leaving an open space just big enough for the tree after we loaded his bed down with all the stuff that was lying around. Once the tree was in place, Edward turned on the TV, adjusted the antennae, put on a slightly static-y Frosty the Snowman, poured us some liquored up eggnog (the only way that stuff is drinkable; I'll always thank Renee for showing me that wonderful trick during my twenty-first Christmas), and started unpacking the Christmas lights. He just ended up with a big knot.

I giggled as I took the ball of lights from him and got to untangling. But then my happy thoughts were put on the back burner. "Why are you spending this time with me?"

"Because I want to," he answered simply and without hesitation. "And we _both_ needed to recapture the fun of this time of the year," he added, smiling and bumping shoulders with me as he tangled more lights.

"No, I mean you don't have a girlfriend you should be with instead?" I asked, dreading his answer.

"Afraid not." He continued to smile.

"Boyfriend, then?" Well, in this day and age, a girl never knew, right?

"Do I come off as a gay?"

"Well, no..." But still... Any gay man would be crazy not to want him.

"Do _you_ have a boyfriend?" he asked, carefully avoiding my gaze and frowning slightly.

"No." I chanced a glance at him and was satisfied to see a small smile reappear on his lips at my answer. "Now let's try stringing these lights before you make them even worse!"

He smiled at me sheepishly. Obviously he had never worked with the tree lights before. Doing Christmas with Renee had taught me that you should never let anybody mess with the lights if they didn't know how to handle them. Else wise... your tree would catch on fire.

After I untangled them from the mess he had created, we began to string them up, circling them around the tree (starting at the bottom instead of the top due to my being vertically challenged) and we were working great together, passing the lights back and forth around the beastly tree. Our pace was nice and steady, and we filled his apartment with our idle chatter.

About midway through as I was placing the lights on the branches, I noticed something that didn't quite belong. I reached in, pulling out a sprig of mistletoe. "I wonder how this got in here..." I murmured out loud, looking around the tree to Edward as I held it up.

"I wonder," he said in return, smoothly struggling his way over to me and planting a light kiss on my cheek. A blush lit up my face when I realized that the mistletoe was held up between us. Quite by accident, really. I hadn't planned that; if I had then I would have been more subtle about it.

"If you're going to stick with tradition, do it right..." I said boldly, unsure of what I was going to do now. I held the mistletoe above his head, returning with a traditional kiss... one with my lips pressed against his. "There."

We stared at each other, a little awkwardly, for a moment. I gazed into his green eyes, pressing myself forward as he began moving toward me in the same manner. We were about to kiss again until...

My damn phone went off.

"Goddamn it," I murmured, pulling away and flipping the phone open. It was a text message.

_Have you gotten a date with him yet?_

I wanted to kill Alice.

Edward chuckled as he read what she wrote. He grabbed the phone from my hands and typed back something to her, not letting me see what it was.

Then he shut my phone off, smiling devilishly at me. "She won't be disturbing you for a while. And you're in the clear for spending tomorrow however you would like."

"Oh, good. Thanks," I said to him, trying to smile. I was in the clear? Do whatever I want? What did he say to her? And how did he accomplish such a feat so easily?

He tossed my phone onto his bed before he cupped my cheek, interrupting the theories of what was in the message he sent back to Alice. Startled, I stared at him, my lips parted slightly. He took my preoccupation away as our mouths connected again, but it wasn't a light kiss. No, this was full-on lip action. I could hear myself sigh into his mouth as he drew me closer, his hands slowly sliding from my face, down my arms, and finally settled somewhere around my waist, his strong fingers holding on to me. I leaned my body against him, or maybe it was something along the lines of _pressing_ myself into him, my hands caught between us. My fingers were sprawled against his chest, and I could feel the muscles beneath his shirt move. He had never put that hideous sweater back on.

This was too much, too fast. I felt dizzy, light headed. I pulled away from that expert mouth of his in a daze, wearing a hopefully not-too-silly smile. My eyes landed on his piano. A distraction! "Will you play something for me?"

"Of course." He took my hand and led me over to the bench, sitting us both down. I could feel our thighs touching and electricity seemed to connect us together. "What would you like to hear?" he said softly, his lips brushing my ear.

"Anything," I whispered back.

"Hmmm..." he said, putting thought into what to play. When did the air begin crackling with such sexual tension? Was it the moment we even entered the apartment... Or when I found the mistletoe? I think it was when I first ran into him, but it hadn't been this intense back then.

"A fan of Billy Joel?" he asked.

I nodded mutely, afraid to speak in case I said something incredibly stupid to him and tried to suppress the shivers running up and down my spine.

Then his fingers started moving on the keys. A simple and vaguely familiar melody played for a few seconds before his voice joined in, taking me by surprise with it's deep, sultry tone, but his voice was soft, and I thought that maybe he was hesitating as he crooned, afraid of what I might think. But when I opened my eyes, I saw it wasn't because he was just singing for me or at me... It was _to _me.

_"She's got a way about her  
I don't know what it is  
But I know that I can't live without her"_

I held my breath at his words as he kept playing, and put my hand on his thigh to try to steady myself as Billy Joel's sweet words were made even more beautiful by Edward's silky voice. His voice grew stronger as his stage fright faded.

_"She's got a way of pleasing  
I don't know what it is  
But there doesn't have to be a reason anyway"_

At this point I was practically shaking. I wondered why in the world he was a _struggling_ musician if he could perform like this. A simple tune, simple words, but so much power and emotion behind them, and such talent that I wanted to melt into the piano bench.

_"She comes to me when I'm feeling down  
Inspires me without a sound  
She touches me  
And I get turned around  
She's got a way of showing  
How I make her feel  
And I find the strength to keep on going"_

I suddenly felt as if I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to kiss him. Now. But I didn't really want him to stop singing such beautiful words to me...

_"She's got a light around her  
And everywhere she goes  
A million dreams of love surround-"_

I only felt a little bad about interrupting his song. His performance might have been amazing, but his kisses were even better. Lunging would sound too crazy, but I had pounced on Edward mid-tune, wrapping my arms around his neck. Now our chests were pushed together, my legs slightly overlapping his as we tried to get as close as possible in a short amount of time. His fingers laced through my hair, holding my head back as he attacked my mouth with feverish passion.

These weren't soft mistletoe kisses, but the full on interaction of two mature adults. His tongue flicked along my lips, as if asking for open passage, which I was only too willing to grant him. Mad and wild sparks of electricity seemed to light where our bodies touched as we explored each other.

"I guess I picked the right song," he whispered in my ear before ravaging my neck.

"Yes," I practically moaned. "Perfect song."

"Since you wouldn't let me get the angel that made me think of you, I hoped the song would do," he said between nips and kisses.

"Mmm," was all I could get out, my hands wrapped in his hair, pushing his lips even closer to me. My mind was slowly slipping away from me, forgetting that we had just met with every swipe of his fantastic tongue.

I turned to straddle the piano bench so I could face him even better, but he had other ideas. Pulling his hand from my hair, he gripped me by my hips until he pulled me onto his lap, my back to the keys, straddling him. I twisted away from his amazingly addictive mouth, trailing kisses along his jaw line, tracing my way up to his ear. His breath came out in a hiss as I nibbled the ear lobe, finding one of those sensitive spots on him. I couldn't help but giggle as he pushed me tighter against the piano, causing a few keys to go off loudly.

And _that_ was one of the reasons I couldn't resist this man: he had the best ideas. Why straddle a piano bench when I could have my legs wrapped around the man who owned said bench and be doing this to him?

I kissed him fiercely and slipped my hand under his shirt, raking my nails lightly over his skin. I remembered the brief glance I had gotten of his abs earlier, and did my best to memorize the feel of those glorious muscles.

Nope. It would be much easier without his shirt on. I could take off his shirt and not succumb to my hormones, right? I figured it'd be worth the risk.

I started pushing off the white shirt and when he got the point, he put his hands over mine, making my clumsy movements fluid and graceful. We made a good team. And when he was revealed to me, I bit back a gasp. He was truly the most handsome man I'd ever seen. He chuckled at my reaction and I was reminding of his song.

_"But I have to laugh when she reveals me..."_

It really was a perfect song. His whole torso was beautiful, as though sculpted from marble. I ran my hands slowly up and down his chest, lightly touching him. It was becoming a blur, touching and kissing as I continued tracing his skin with my eyes and hands, debating if he'd mind if I'd use my tongue as well. Probably not. I stood us up and the bench fell backwards with a loud _Bang!_ that neither of us paid any attention to as I sat down on the keys, making the most annoying and erotic sound ever heard.

I kissed down his chest and he seemed to stop breathing. I was proud that I had that effect on him.

_"She touches me and I get turned around..."_

When I got down to his happy trail, I could visually see how much what I did effected him. He was definitely excited about what was happening.

_"She's got a way of pleasing..."_

His hand moved up and began to touch my stomach as well and I pushed our bodies even closer together, making more noises come from the piano as I shifted slightly.

"Edward," I breathed out.

"Bella, I want you," he said, his eyes both apologetic for admitting this and also full of desire. I didn't like that first look, but the second drove me wild.

"I want you, too," I told him, finally deciding to let my hormones take over. I wouldn't stop this like I had after Alice's text message. I would get myself some "Holiday Spirit" tonight.

"Oh, thank God," he breathed, and glanced behind him. "The damn bed is occupied. Let me go clean it off," he growled at me, his eyes dark with desire.

But I couldn't let him go. Not now. We couldn't lose the moment and realize that we were still strangers. "No no nonono. Here is fine."

And that's all it took.

He picked me up, my legs wrapped around his waist as he placed me on top of the piano. His hips bucked forward, and I could feel his erection again through his already crotch-tight jeans. A soft, nearly inaudible moan escaped from my mouth on feeling it against me, so close to where I felt the need for it.

He reacted to that, his mouth pressed tight against my throat as he kissed and nibbled the skin there and I pressed my hips up, rubbing up against him as he grabbed at my shirt, pulling it off and tossing it somewhere behind us. In the next instant, all I knew was a slight chill as my bra had became lost somewhere on the apartment floor as well until Edward's hot mouth covered one of my hardening nipples, sucking on it in a way that made me moan... Loudly.

I arched my back to the sensation, letting my eyes close as my head tilted back. One of his hands crept around, holding me against him by the hand on the small of my back. His other began to knead the unattended breast, squeezing and pinching and eliciting a loud gasp from me.

I reached for those jeans of his that I had admired so much earlier all that time ago in the coffee shop, unbuttoning them with ease, the zipper coming down in the same second. "Edward," I choked out his name, finding it hard to catch my breath. My stomach, and lower regions, were tightening with wonderful excitement.

His reply came out in a soft grunt as he seemed to read my mind, and he shimmied out of his jeans, kicking them off. A pair of gray boxers (being pulled in the front by a large surprise of sorts for me) was revealed as he did away with the inhibiting cloth.

I didn't wait, didn't linger, as I shunned my own off. There we were, me on the piano, him standing between my thighs, and the two of us only in our boxers and boyshorts, panting, aroused, itching to attack one another. I reached for him as he reached for me, our kisses wild.

Almost manic.

_"She's got a way of pleasing..."_

My breasts were pressed to his chest and my hands roamed his back, cupped his perfect buttocks. He groaned loudly at my nails tracing patterns on his skin. The sound made me moan in return.

When his hand began massaging my inner thigh, I knew that this was it. We had come too far to move away, and I was all for staying as long as I could. "Edward," I moaned as his genius fingers found the front of my soaked boy shorts. Voluntarily, my legs moved open a little more as he rubbed against my outer lips through the cotton. My hips moved up, pressing against his hand. I whimpered a bit, my eyes meeting his in silent plea.

He gracefully—in part—answered my request, sliding his cool fingers under the material, touching the wet and hot skin that lay hidden still. On my thigh, growing hot and hard to ignore, his erection throbbed. When he didn't enter me, and his fingers merely danced along without doing exactly what I wanted, I groaned loudly, grabbing at his wrist. He chuckled, a dark and wholly exciting sound that had me panting even more.

_"She's got a way of pleasing..."_

"Please." I began tugging at his boxers, letting his package free from its prison. My hand wrapped around his shaft, feeling bold and brazen and no longer in the mood to play around, as he was doing to me with his cruel teasing.

Somehow... my underwear must have been made of cheap fabric or something... he ripped my boyshorts clean off of my body. His naked member pressed hotly against my moist flesh, rubbing against me in a painfully teasing manner. I moaned his name, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist to bring him closer to me.

With one smooth thrust, he pushed himself inside of me with a soft growl, filling me in a way I had never felt. Like he was meant to fit. I claimed his mouth with my own, smothering mutual moans as he pulled out and thrust back in. My arms gripped his shoulders tightly, trying to hold onto him as my body was swept along with the tides of our sex. Letting myself go for only a moment, I caught on to his rhythm, tilting my head back to expose my neck as I matched him pump for pump, thrust for thrust, random piano notes playing in the background every time either of us moved. His hands held tightly to my hips, his fingers digging into my skin with probably the same strength that my grip was on him. I'd more than likely be a little bruised in the morning, but at this moment I didn't feel anything bad, nor did I care about a few bruises. Those were nothing new to me.

The smell of sweat and sex lingered in the air, the former giving us a simple sheen on our skin and the latter arousing us even more. Mingling moans, loud pants, and whimpered names fell from our lips when they weren't preoccupied with one another.

_"She's got a way of pleasing..."_

My body began to tense, and I begged Edward to continue in a voice I couldn't quite manage to sound like my normal self. His mouth found its way to my neck and the moment that he bit down—surprisingly gentle for the vigorous workout we were going through—and began nibbling on me, I moaned his name loud enough for neighbors to hear as my walls clenched around him with my orgasm. He came a moment later, his body resting against mine as we struggled to catch our breaths. His arms slid around me now, holding me tightly. I grabbed his face with my hands, kissing him over and over until each part of his face had been touched by my lips.

"Wow," I said. How anti-climatic.

"'She's got a way of pleasing'," he responded, making me giggle slightly that we were having similar thoughts.

"Were you hoping for that when you sang that song?" I asked him, glaring playfully and smacking his arm lightly.

"Are you kidding? I was hoping for that since you ran into me at the coffee shop! I was debating pretending you'd injured me so you could _'make it up'_ to me," he smirked.

"You're such a perv!" I said, pretending to be appalled at his confession. In reality, I was just flattered.

"I didn't do it, did I?" he pointed out. "Instead I tried to go for the 'Mysterious Guy Talking Up A Beautiful Woman' act."

"And I ruined that by recognizing you," I smiled. "Too bad you had to settle for the 'Incredibly Talented Musician Talking Up A Beautiful Woman' routine instead. Sad." I put on an exaggerated pout for him, which became real when he stepped away from me.

"Don't give me that look," he said over his shoulder, successfully guessing my demeanor and making me smile. "I'm just going to try to clear off the bed. _Someone _was just too horny to let me do it earlier," he said, turning to smirk at me. I blushed at how true his words were.

I watched his cute butt with the dimples walk over to his bed, and just push everything off, cluttering the floor again. He walked back to me and held his hand out, guiding me through the chaos on the floor without falling, and he pulled back the covers for us both to climb in.

"What a way to find the Holiday Spirit," I joked.

"_Holiday Spirit_, eh? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" he smirked. And once again I must say: that's why this man was so irresistible. We were so alike and complimented each other in so many ways.

I just shook my head.

"I'm so glad I got that mistletoe," he grinned.

"_You _got it?" I asked, surprisingly not too shocked at this revelation. He nodded in confirmation; he seemed to have set up this whole night for us to end it happily together. The words from his song reverberated through my head. _She's got a way about her. I don't know what it is, but I know that I can't live without her_... somehow, even though I knew that part of this night was premeditated, I also knew that he wasn't just using me for sex. He was using me for _me_, and I couldn't be happier that her wanted me.

I tried to stifle a yawn. Our... aerobic exercises... on the piano as well as my heavy thoughts had taken a lot out of me. He chuckled and snuggled against my back. _"A million dreams of love surround her. Everywhere,"_ he whispered in my ear, and I drifted off to the sound of his sweet voice in my ear.

In the morning I awoke to the smell of fresh baked goods. I stretched out and sat up, eyeing Edward, only wearing his boxers in the kitchen, burning his fingers as he tried to take a hot muffin pan out of the oven with his bare hand.

"Shit!" he whisper-swore. I giggled quietly at how he didn't want to wake me.

I shifted to get out of bed and my foot kicked something inside the covers. I glanced up at Edward, who had his back to me, muttering curses under his breath as he popped the muffins out of the tin. I reached under the covers and pulled out... my cell phone!

I turned it on to check for any messages. I had three from Alice. The most recent said:

_Bella... you better be fucking dead or getting laid for not answering me! You never came home last night!_

I smiled and read the second one.

_Hey B! Are you still with him? Did he turn out to be a weirdo so you ditched him? He seemed nice. Let me know if you're coming tomorrow still so I can set you up with my cousin Jacob like I told you before! He's really sweet and has a great sense of humor._

I ignored that one. Then there was the oldest one.

_B's date! Are you cute? Are you funny? Do you deserve her? Expect me to interrogate you intently when I meet you!_

And that was when I remembered that Edward had sent her a message last night. I looked in my outbox to see what he said to her.

_This is Edward, Bella's companion for the evening. She will be indisposed for quite a bit of time as I show her what the Christmas season is about in hopes of lifting her mood, and Yes, I'll be taking her out with me tomorrow. Have no fear, Alice, your girl has game._

I blushed.

And then I texted Alice, telling her I was alright and not to worry. And to pick up some whipped cream for her mom before she left town to drive back to her parents for the day's festivities. And I was mystified by her response.

_Sure thing! Have fun on your date today!_

"Sleeping Beauty awakes and checks her phone messages first thing," Edward smirked, bringing a plate of breakfast food over to the bed.

"Yeah... I kicked it when I moved around," I smiled at him, studiously ignoring the slight burns on his hands, since he seemed not to want to admit to hurting himself.

"Good morning," he said, his eyes warm as he kissed me lightly.

"Mmmm, good morning," I replied, savoring his scent and taste.

We worked slowly through his breakfast until there were only two Lemon Muffins left.

"Lemon?" I asked, confused. "What are you feeling sour about?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not every food and drink item has to have a significance, does it?" I just looked at him. "Fine. I'm a little pissed that you knew me before, but I didn't know you. If I had seen you at the club when you saw me, we could have been together a lot sooner." He looked at the plate, avoiding my eyes.

"Edward." He didn't look up. "_Edward_..." He met my eyes reluctantly.

_She comes to me when I'm feeling down..._ His words came back to me.

"Timing is unimportant. Only the end result is."

He let out his signature half-grin. "I believe you. So we're going to The Flaming Torch for my Christmas performance tonight," he said, naming the club where I had first seen him.

I love how he just said it, not asking. He wasn't trying to control me and he wasn't telling me what to do; he just knew that I would go. Because of course I would. _"I know that I can't live without her," _he had sang to me. And I knew he meant it.

"Sounds good. What time?"

"We need to be there around three for the sound check," he said as I ripped off the top to one of those delectable lemon muffins.

"Bella," he said in a deep voice. I looked up and saw the same lust in his eyes that I saw so very well last night.

I cleared my throat in anticipation.

"I'd really like to _butter your muffin_," he said, sex dripping from his voice.

_Oh, thank GOD he was thinking the same thing in that coffee shop as me_...

"You better," I said, setting the plate on the floor for another round of Holiday Spirit.

"She's got a way of pleasing me," he sang into my ear one last time before his lips touched mine again.

**Dude. dare you to not get billy joel stuck in yer head.**

**And if you don't know the song… first off, shame on you. Secondly…. Go youtube it.**

**One more posts today… that leaves two… hmm.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Right. back again, little st. nicks…**

**So this next one is unbelievable. I'm not kidding.**

**It's not happy-go-lucky. It's not even one that features one of our favorite couples.**

**It's morose and lonely. It hurts a little bit to read it.**

**But…. The writing is just fucking exquisite. We spent quite some time on the phone dialoguing about how much we loved this and how amazing and impressive it is.**

**We want to go on and on about how phenomenal it is, but we'll just cut to the chase. And believe us when we tell you, this is just…. Ugh.**

**This one gets the Midnight Sun Award for best portrayal of Canon Edward, ever. Fuck that shit. It beats , if you ask us. Because this is the Edward we all wanted to see. Not kidding. It's incredible. We are both impressed and slightly awed by how good this is.**

**Now if both authors would just go update their stories already, life would be jim dandy.**

**upthedownslide and thallium81… enjoy 'Tis Better to Receive.**

Pop songs about Santa Claus tinkled from the radio with aggressive cheer and an abundance of tambourines. I remember when Christmas music was sacred. Hymns in praise of Jesus and the Holy Virgin, back when there was a message and a purpose. Now wealthy long-haired children, who dress like street urchins in the name of fashion, assault my ears with generic, psychedelic tunes made to sell for ninety-nine cents on seven inches of vinyl in a garishly-colored paper wrapper.

I knew for a fact that Emmett had purchased one for each of us. Oh, the creativity. It burns.

The fire crackled invitingly, lulling me to a dulled state as I systematically shut off all the nonessential functions of my brain, focusing only on the slow rising and falling of my chest. It was as close to sleep as I could come in this immortal shell. The scent of the wood flavored the air and diffused the scent of the humans in the cabin five hundred yards away. Small miracles.

Unfortunately, it couldn't muffle their voices.

Or the never ending barrage of shallow, sex-driven thoughts strewn shamelessly about.

The family of five bickered over whether to watch a rerun of last year's_ The Monkees Christmas Show_ or a ten month old episode of _Batman_. I wanted to run over there and kick their television until their beloved characters could no longer sing and dance and biff and pow. I'd then follow the whole celebration with a good old-fashioned massacre. Snap their necks just for having such ridiculously bad taste. Not only would I feel better, but I'd be helping the gene pool.

What a saint I am.

The mother kept yelling that they were supposed to be enjoying Christmas together like a _real_ family, screaming because she felt angry at herself for trying to fit into this ideal that women didn't have to believe in anymore. The father was grumbling to himself about how much he had shelled out for the cabin, and all the while he longed for another stolen grope with his secretary back home. The oldest boy sat in front of the fire, burning the sticky remnant of a marshmallow off the poker and daydreaming about the pouting mouths, ample cleavage and peeks of pink shimmering sex that awaited him in the magazines stashed under his mattress. Nothing was sacred anymore; the entire point of the holiday was completely lost on these people. After all, the mother only wanted a brightly smiling Christmas photo, complete with exotic mountainous backdrop, to show up her bitch of a sister-in-law.

Just as I was imagining the taste of the twelve year old's blood rolling down my throat, Jasper interrupted my gruesome fantasy. _Man, will you git in the fuckin' spirit already._

Carlisle had taken the holidays off for once because it was his fiftieth Christmas with me, excluding my spell of independence, and he wanted to celebrate banishing his loneliness. Also, Esme had been wheedling for a getaway. And Rose had been hinting at her craving for caribou. And Emmett had been asking for a grizzly for Christmas. And Alice had been fretting over Jasper and the crowds of frantic shoppers on the sidewalks that kept bumping into him with sweat dripping down their backs after standing in overheated shops with their coats on. And Jasper had been... cranky.

Apparently Canada was supposed to be stimulating for all of us, but what part of better-than-average cuisine and sensational shopping was worth living for? They all yearned for food; I yearned for anything else.

Yes, Carlisle had gotten me to tag along by saying the trip was for me, but everyone in the family was too high-spirited to remember to lie. I had managed to avoid family holidays ever since the Thanksgiving in Denali when Tanya thought a flock of noisy, foul-smelling turkeys would be a fun appetizer before heading out to hunt. During that momentous trip she also climbed into the shower with me, tried to fellate me, and Kennedy was shot. Lucky Jack.

I sighed and closed _Le Lys dans la Vallée_ on my finger to keep my place and let my eyes wander through the room. Alice and Esme were putting the finishing touches on the tree that Emmett had dragged me out to uproot earlier. Alice had her dark Mia Farrow look with Caesar curls around her face and eight pounds of eyeliner. Her skirt was so short that when she reached up to hang ornaments, I could see her pink bloomers. Jasper didn't notice me looking because he was too busy thinking about her thighs. I admit that sometimes I let myself listen to Jasper while he thought about Alice. He was less crude than Emmett, and God knows I didn't invite that kind of insight about Esme. I followed his fantasy for a while with my eyes watching the same peeking flesh that he was watching. It was relatively tame, mostly about the way her skin feels under his fingers.

I heard Rose and Emmett pull up in the Coupe De Ville. First, the sound of chained tires crunched through packed snow on the driveway, and then the determined clack of wood sounded as Rosalie's boot heels met the shoveled stretch of asphalt. I braced myself for her entrance as she stormed up the porch.

"Carlisle! I take it back. I don't want him!" Her blond hair was piled up in gravity-defying waves. I heard the cans of Aqua-Net clanging together in the paper sack she carried. God forbid she let herself go in the wilderness. Her white patent boots hugged her calves and she shed her silver fox to reveal a blinding black and white check patterned dress. When the coat dropped to the floor, her chunky ebony and ivory bangles clanked together, and I grinded my teeth at her never-ending extravagance. She heard my masticulation and glared at me, the mile-long false eyelashes and white lip-gloss making her face truly frightening. I wondered for the millionth time how Emmett could stand kissing her. Et cetera.

Carlisle descended the stairs slowly, book in hand. His thoughts told me he was wary of the way Rose had beckoned him. All eyes were on her, framed in the blackness of the open door, a brown paper bag and stunning fur at her feet, when Emmett bounded in behind her and squeezed her like a python. Her feet kicked up into the air, flashing the entire room a glimpse of her glistening vagina. Lovely. In the glare of the antler-chandelier above the door, trace lines of venom shimmered in streaks down the inside of her thighs. Emmett laughed. Rose raged and kicked. Esme looked away. The rest of us stared.

I quickly pieced together the events of the past hour that had set Rose into her mood. Apparently, on their trip to buy replacement bulbs for the burnt out lights on the tree, Emmett had tackled Rose and stolen her underwear. A barter of cunnilingus for fellatio followed in the back of the Cadillac, and then Emmett failed to restore the pilfered article of clothing to its owner. He amused himself by tossing the undergarment out the window when she kept grabbing for it while he was driving. She was thoroughly put-out because she had purchased the silk drawers in Paris on their most recent honeymoon, and she quite liked them.

They scuffled in the doorway for half a minute before Carlisle sensed Esme's distress and broke his gaze away from Rose's overly landscaped bush. He cleared his throat in his best authoritative manner, and Emmett snapped to his senses and placed his wife on her feet.

"I think we had better get those lights on the tree, Emmett. It's getting late."

Jasper snickered at Emmett's chagrin, and Alice smacked his shoulder as she draped herself across his lap.

Carlisle held his hand out to Emmett, who reached into his pocket and produced a package of small green and red colored bulbs. Rose stampeded up the stairs.

Half an hour later, Carlisle had finished removing each bulb from the string of lights and replacing it with a new one until he found the burnt-out culprit that caused the whole tree to stay dark. He screwed the last light back into its little socket, and Esme gasped in delight when the tree cast a soft glow over the room. Alice hit the main light switch in a flash, and the tree alone shone brilliantly, sending garish red and green patterns across our inhuman white faces.

I sighed into my Balzac and searched for Rose in my head. Carlisle had taken as long as possible on the lights to give her time to change, knowing full well that a change of coulotte would mean a full change of ensemble. Rose executed an extravagant costume change at least three times a day. I saw her in the mirror that she faced and knew better than to be relieved that she looked ready, having learned long ago that I am no judge of that. Alice looked to the staircase then, and I caught the movement and felt relief wash over me. Thank God. Rose would descend and we could get on with this nightmare.

Alice bounced to the tree like a little pink elf and began digging through the piles of brightly wrapped boxes. She and I already knew what everyone was getting, so she got her kicks by conducting the proceedings on Christmas Eve.

"Hey Edward, put your ball sack down and get over here."

I looked up at my brother. "Balzac. It's Balzac, Emmett."

"Yeah. I know." He smiled at Rosalie who entered clad in a low-cut red velvet dress trimmed in white fur at the hem just below her ass. Her white boots had been traded for red heels that buckled over her ankles. White snowflakes climbed up the back seams of her silk stockings. Her hair was piled impossibly higher than before with a white fur bandeau draped thickly just above her brow. The eyelashes were still in place, but her lips had changed from afternoon pale to evening dark in a red that matched her dress and reminded me of antelope's blood. How I longed for Africa.

Esme turned up the volume on the Hi-Fi. It was nearing midnight, so the music had shifted from poppy and enthusiastic to somber and reverent. Dean Martin's rendition of _Silent Night_ eased into Bing Crosby's _Adeste Fideles_. I willed myself to relax and focus on my family. Christmas meant so much to all of them.

Alice handed me a shirt box wrapped in a matte green paper with a red bow.

"You know I don't like fabric on my throat."

"Edward!" Esme scolded. I had already broken her caveat. She insisted I open the boxes before commenting on the contents. "We want to see it." I tore the paper carelessly and thumbed the flimsy lid off of the box. A vibrant marigold cashmere momentarily blinded me. I pulled the turtleneck up by its shoulder seams to display to the room.

"Oh, it's lovely," she gushed. "It will match your eyes." I frowned at her incredulously.

Jasper laughed. Alice clapped her hands together and continued piling gifts at everyone's feet.

I sighed and dropped it back into the box.

"You're _going_ to wear it." Rose insisted. It was from her.

"I'm definitely not."

"You've been dressing like James Dean for a decade. Let it go. He's dead."

Alice paused in handing me another box. "You need to find a new icon of brooding masculinity already. Like Steve McQueen, maybe."

Esme murmured her agreement, "Steve McQueen is lovely." She missed Carlisle's furrowed brow, but I did not.

"Ooh and he wears turtlenecks!" Alice agreed.

Jasper was in full-blown hysterics by this point, and I lashed out at him. "At least I haven't been dressing like an extra from _Gunsmoke_ for the last five years."

"Boys!" Carlisle's voice cut through before Jasper could retort. "Be civil. Edward, stop being ungrateful."

I dropped my eyes to my lap and mumbled an apology to Jasper and Rose for my rudeness, and I gave weak smiles as each of my family unwrapped a box. Midnight chimed, and I allowed myself to be swept up into the haunting melody of _Ave Maria_ coming over the radio. I hummed along lightly, and the music warmed me. Jasper looked over when he felt my mood shift, and I nodded a real apology to him. He mimed shooting me with an imaginary pistol, and Esme smiled at our brotherly exchange.

Alice bounced in front of me with her gift. I took the box from her excited fingers and saw the contents in her mind's eye.

"I don't need shoes, Alice."

She glared at me for not bothering to open the box. "Yes, you do. You've been wearing the same pair everyday for almost three years." She took the box back from me and peeled it open to reveal a pair of faun-colored suede winklepickers with Cuban heels. Had she even met me?

I looked down at my feet and shrugged. "I like mine. They go with everything."

"They won't go with your new sweater." Emmett's contribution, and resulting smirk, earned him a nudge from Rosalie's elbow.

Before the conversation could escalate into a full-blown fight over the garishly mod new wardrobe my siblings were trying to push onto me, Carlisle interrupted. "You know, Edward, you're really lucky a pair of shoes will last you that long." I stared at him, trying to piece the point of his interruption together before he started lecturing. It turned out to be more of a story than a lecture, so I settled back and silently listened.

"When I was younger and starting to mingle with humans, one of the biggest obstacles I faced was that the livestock all panicked in my presence. For the sake of discretion, horses would have been my mode of transportation, but they reared and whinnied and shied from me."

He must have sensed Rosalie's internal eye-roll as she bit her tongue, protesting story time. Ever since Alice and Jasper joined our family, Carlisle had been prone to pontification. He sought to help with Jasper's constant struggle by spinning stories with a moral edge. Lately he had even been drawing Jasper into the stories, creating a dialectic that enthralled Alice, amused Emmett, and tried Rosalie's patience.

"Jasper, you must have had quite a problem with livestock as well."

Jasper nodded, "Sure did." Alice took his hand and squeezed it. She grew excited every time he opened up about his long and illustrious past. A rarity no more. "Cattle'ld stampede if I passed by without taking care to walk downwind from 'em."

"Ah yes. I do remember that." Carlisle agreed, each of them lost to his own memories. "And hogs were loosed on the streets before dawn each morning to gobble up the previous day's refuse." Carlisle smiled fondly to himself. "Well, at least under the cover of darkness, I could make a snack of one or two of them without the butcher realizing they'd been lost. I left the carcasses at the almshouses for their stews, since there was no way to dispose of them in the city."

"Sounds tasty, but..." I smirked when I read the question formulating in Emmett's mind. "What does that have to do with shoes?" Rose elbowed him again, and he added sincerely, holding his chin in his hand, "Not that it isn't a fascinating story."

Carlisle smiled patiently. "The point is, I had to walk everywhere. You all have the luxury of automobiles. I wore out a pair of shoes once a month or more."

"Yup," Jasper agreed. "I didn't try so hard. Didn't hafta. If anyone saw me runnin', they usually wouldn't be around to spread the gossip about it." He cleared his throat, glossing over the nastier bits of his past. "But all that runnin' wore out a pair of boots real fast."

"So, what you're saying is that Edward should shut up and accept the pair of shoes and stop being an ungrateful brat?" Nice, Rosalie.

"Not in so many words, but yes."

_Et tu, Carlisle?_

I bristled at Rose, "Do you realize how ridiculous the trends are? How looking back at photos from these fads is going to make you cringe in 1980?"

"Edward, do you realize what a damn downer you are?" Emmett threw a protective arm around his wife and scowled at me.

"Maybe not, but I know you looked a hell of a lot smarter during the Depression."

"Edward..." Carlisle growled as best he could through gritted teeth.

I stood and bowed my head slightly to each member of my family in turn. "Emmett, I'm sorry; Rosalie, you look lovely; Alice, I love my new shoes; Esme, you were wonderful, thank you. Jasper...much obliged. I'm sorry, Carlisle. Good evening everyone."

"Edward, please stay. It's so rare we're all together like this," Esme pleaded, the eternal mother figure.

_As opposed to every day of our lives?_

I shook my hair out and kissed her forehead, the way a good son would. Ignoring their mental cheers and jeers, I crossed the room toward the carpet-lined stairs. I counted my steps to silence my head and shut my door softly behind me. I tossed a few logs into the fireplace and settled down on the hearth. I used my bare hand to poke the embers back to life. The flames licked around my arm, barely tickling the skin.

The fire and I were the same. Artificial life sustained only through the destruction of other things.

I stared into the flames until I felt my eyes glaze over, a thin coating of venom forming a barrier between the dry heat and the delicate membrane, relatively speaking.

Occasionally Emmett's boisterous laugh tried to wrench me from my empty reverie, but if I simply kept my stare steady on the flames, I could block them out. I could block out the joy and fun and love that wanted to include me but couldn't. I was the outsider. I would always be the brother to be teased and the son to be pitied while each of them was also a lover to be cherished.

The clock in the study chimed three times. Three in the morning. I'd been staring at the orange glow for over two and a half hours. Two and a half hours I'd managed to keep the voices out and all of the bile in.

What a rousing success it had been.

Heaving myself off the ground, I tossed my nylon track jacket on to keep the snow out before throwing it off again and bounding silently down the stairs. Fuck the snow, let it come in. The wet cold would feel no different than the fire I had been leaning into.

I needed to run; I needed to move and shake this coma from my limbs. I made it to the front door before the voices started in again. It was Esme, her cool musical tone stalled me in my tracks. I sank down to the floor, my wrists around my ankles and listened to the nightly ritual I'd come to rely upon.

Esme's voice was a low melody playing in the background of Carlisle's senses. He wasn't listening to her words. Instead he concentrated on her actions. Her hands slid over his neck as her fingers reached for his buttons. She deftly opened the shirt and pushed it off his shoulders before sliding to her knees at his feet.

Her advances always looked like praying.

For nearly half a century I had tried to block this out. Ignore, distract, avoid. But for nearly half a century I had peeks at her breasts through his eyes, tasted his venom on her tongue, and experienced the power of their connection through their actions. In recent years, glimpses turned into glances, accidental became intentional, shame superseded by daring. I tightened my hands even further around my ankles and dug my nails into the flesh, leaving crescent shaped indents.

When his trousers were loosed and his erection was released, Carlisle fell back onto their bed to give himself more fully to the sensation. She was still murmuring some incantation of seduction, and he was still concentrating more on the vibration of her voice than on her words. He concentrated on the buzz of his skin beneath her touch. He concentrated on the soft wetness of her tongue dragging over his frenulum, meatus, and glans. Her vocal vibrations invigorated his virility, and I realized that she was singing some old romantic tune, and when her mouth was full she simply hummed the melody against his flesh.

Her movements were languid, feline, avaricious and intoxicating. Carlisle's focus was absolute, and the emotion she coaxed from him with her presence and her touch and her song and her tongue was a high that any addict would seek the globe to find. Her lips moved up and down. Over and around. Under, across, higher, lower, faster, slower. Her tongue danced magically to the ceaseless tune, and the sensation of him against the back of her throat sent shivers through us both.

Carlisle threw his fingers to her head and threaded them through her hair and held her humming lips in place and pulled her face to match the pace of the rhythm he needed to find the release that exploded with wonderful fury.

Wonderful, beautiful fury.

I saw white flashes against my closed lids and swallowed thickly. My chest heaved, but it took several moments before my senses could focus and allow me to hear my own panting. I tossed my head to one side in a futile, half-hearted attempt to shake away the truth of what I had just shared with the people I called my parents. I concentrated on the sound of my breathing. Unnecessary. Pointless. Singular.

One single set of lungs was all I could hear when I kept my mind in the same room as my body. Single. Alone. Lonely. Pointless. Unnecessary.

I preferred to let my mind wander at will as I tossed my head against the back of the wall. The dull thud was amplified by the empty room. Before anyone could come to check on the noise, I got to my knees and took the stairs one by one, shame weighing me down. I found my room nestled at the crook of the hallway and turned the glass knob, pressing silently against the door as I let myself inside. I shut it behind me with a whisper and sighed to myself, shame and curiosity heavy on my conscience.

After stripping free of my denim and leather, I lay in front of the fire, with only my cotton briefs and undershirt keeping me clothed. The fleshy parts of my backside molded themselves around the jagged clay bricks.

I was as far away from the others as possible, but not nearly far enough. Not only did I have to endure the sounds and feel the faint reverberations of their motions along the wooden floorboards and through the plastered walls, I had them inside my mind; their bodies playing in front of me as if I were the one to commit the most intimate of acts. I was no longer an unwilling observer, but a silent participant.

My mind drifted downstairs to Jasper, his infatuation seamlessly filling my senses, overwhelming me with things I did not need. I lay still, watching him watch her, listening to the comfortable silence they shared. They were on the ground, their foreheads pressed together as they stared into one another's eyes, nothing but love and respect filling their thoughts. Their silence was all encompassing until his fingers twitched where they met her skin. Her thoughts became my thoughts. His movements became my movements. I was the absent player in their game for two.

My hand moved involuntarily in time with Jasper's, ghosting up Alice's leg, her cool skin taut between his fingers, her gentle curls caught between my nails. They didn't speak to each other, each one already knowing what the other would do, what the other was feeling. He shifted her on top of him until he was sitting on the floor beneath her, our hands twisting around her ankles, our nails dragging along the tops of her feet. She shook gently as she used her bare foot to push us backwards leaving him prone against the floor, his shirt pushed up his chest. I followed suit moving my hand up my chest, the tail of my shirt resting just above my breastbone.

Jasper moved our hands up her shins, twisting around her knees, creeping up the inside of her thighs. He pulled down the bit of fluorescent pink between her legs before sitting up on his knees, pulling her ankle to his neck, dragging her closer to us. We kissed every scrap of flesh until he felt her skin relax against him, felt her mentally give herself over to him, blissfully unaware that I was riding the coattails of their ecstasy. My voyeurism was disgusting, but mostly unavoidable.

Alice closed her eyes, shutting off one sense to heighten the others. She inhaled deeply, reveling in the masculine scent being thrown by our lover. We pinned him with our knees, holding his shoulders down as our hips moved back and forth over his chest. I rocked back and forth against the baked clay, craving physical friction and not just a stolen mental projection. I resigned myself to the stolen intimacy, settling in for the night before being ripped apart by a ground-shattering growl.

Rosalie.

Emmett and his wife were in the snow, wet to their waists in frozen water as they circled the beast, her present to him, just what he'd asked for.

"All for you," she told him, crooning a purr as she backed against a tree leaving the kill to her husband. His eyes glowed dark like embers as we found Rosalie. She nodded her approval, and Emmett sprang up, his ankles digging in behind the shoulders of the grizzly as he buried his face in its fur ripping apart sinew and bone. Emmett's teeth broke through the hide, and we took greedy pulls of the bear's lifeblood as its heart pumped the salty sweetness into our mouth. Towards the end, it buckled beneath us, its knees punching into the snow as we sank, spraying the sticky blood into our mouths in a hot rhythmic flow. His face was covered in blood, dripping down his massive chest, and the warm liquid steamed when it met the cold air. We took a break from the frenzy to find our wife, his life.

Rosalie writhed against the tree behind her, sending a frenzy of another kind ripping through our body. Knowing what we wanted, she leaped from the tree and shoved Emmett back, sending him flying across the clearing, leaving her straddling the bear. Her legs, her arms, became mine. Her movements were my movements, her desires became my own. Rosalie sank our teeth deep in the bear's flesh, a near identical move to Emmett's, but with more grace and ease, a gentle air. She lapped at the red sustenance, our tongue plunging into the grated tears setting a red glow beyond the painted outline of our lips. We looked through our lashes, her eyes meeting Emmett's. She sat up, arching her back, pushing her hips against the bear's spine, sending a wave of sensation from our insides out.

Emmett's resistance grew weak, and I felt his wanton desires inside of myself as we jumped the distance and tackled Rosalie to the ground and ran our tongue over her stained lips. Every attempt to fill the hunger led to a deeper, stronger ache that would not be sated. Emmett pinned her to the exsanguinated carcass, pushing her further and further into the damp fur, shoving it deeper and deeper into the snow, our knees holding her in place. She growled underneath us, fighting to sit up, to meet his lips. We held her wrists and teased our tongue against her mouth. She groaned and twirled beneath us, not quite strong enough to push us off. He dragged his teeth against her throat, nipping at her iced flesh. Rosalie whispered "Please" in our ear, her tongue tickling the ridge. He lost his mind and we bit, plunging our teeth past skin. The still blood she had just consumed pooled up at the tear, and she tasted electric as she bled for him and him alone. I was the parasite.

I picked my head up and slammed it back against the brick, and it did nothing but crack the stone. I wanted unconsciousness. I wanted to stem the voices. I wanted to give them the privacy they didn't know I invaded. They deserved so much better than me.

I threw myself off the ground and launched toward the bookshelf, seeking solace between the leather bound pages. I grabbed the thickest book off the bottom shelf and ripped the cover off, losing myself to aerobic cell cycles. The wonders of biology were enough to quell the thoughts until I realized I could no longer hear them and I instinctively started listening for them, the silence foreign to me.

I found Alice where I left her, pulsating against the cabin floor, our back arching as Jasper used his mind to intensify his touch. His fingers were strong, nimble in all the right places. We buckled and bent, an unnatural flush coming over her skin. She picked up her husband, her hands gripping below his backside as we pulled him towards us and made for the shower. She wanted to feel warm. No, not warm, she wanted to feel hot. She wanted to feel her skin boil and bake under the water. She wanted the heat because it was the closest to feeling human she imagined we could be, and I believed her.

She was graceful in using her foot to turn on the water as she slid her husband onto the sink, pressing her stomach into his, resting her forehead on his chin. He bent down and kissed our head, smoothing her curls around her cheeks. Alice had taught herself to quiet her head better than I had; she didn't look to the future, she enjoyed the surprise. I looked away before I completely robbed them both of their dignity. Alice must have known I did this, and that repulsed me beyond belief. We didn't talk about it, but I saw the pity in her eyes. I turned my attentions somewhere less conspicuous, somewhere less revolting only to find that there was none to be found.

I watched the woman I call mother give herself over to the man I call father. I watched my sister pledge eternal love to her husband, all the while kissing his chest, stroking his back. I watched my brother attack his wife and struggle to fill himself with enough of her. I watched the pushing and pulling, the back and forth, the ins and outs. They were inside each other now, not only physically. There was no reason anymore, just the need to get closer, to be closer.

The mashing of hips, the grinding of pelvises, the thrusting, the longing. It repeated over and over, a record restarting. Alice screamed, Emmett growled, Jasper whimpered, Rosalie grinned. It was rhythmic and disjointed at the same time. I felt the cold snow and the hot water at the same time, alternating waves over my flesh. Heaving my hips off the bricks, I pushed myself into my hand, stroking in time with the others. Towards the end, the movements became frantic, a fevered pumping driven by instinct instead of skill. It was unattractive and the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. We came together, each in our own way, but only I came alone. Into my grip.

When I'd finished, I held my hand above the flames, the venom dripping off, dissolving before it hit the logs. A sickly sweet scented sizzle. I stared up at the ceiling, unable to watch my hand; the feeling alone was enough to disgust me.

I smashed my head back against the bricks, splitting the clay into smaller pieces. I realized that despite watching all of this, it did not change the fact that I was not privy to any of these things. Watching their love meant nothing to me. I longed to participate. To have someone who wanted me, who needed me for exactly what I was. Someone who would be contented enough to just have me and want nothing more.

All I wanted for Christmas was love, belonging, the thread of humanity that is sparked by the touch of a mate. Instead, the family pitched and gave me an orgasm.

Truly, tis better to give than to receive.

**Fuck, that was good.**

**One left!**

**Oh, and we'll finish ours up, if you insist.**

**wtvoc: I should probably go write the ending, huh?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Merry Christmas Eve!**

**So here it is, the final story.**

**And we loved it.**

**Seriously.**

**The topic, first off, is delicious. I mean, I know you all think jandco and wtvoc are deviants, but we're not. We just like the sexytimes.**

**But this one. Phew.**

**The writing is fantastic. Very clean, few mistakes. That sounds- I dunno… cold. But dude, these things are **_**important**_**.**

**The writing style is amazing, and a nice, subtle twist on the different POV thing.**

**And trust us when we say it's a rarity that we get off on reading something that doesn't involve Edward.**

**So here ya go, our pick for Best Use of a Tree Skirt and a Closet.**

**And we were wrong before… there were two entries that had three writers; this is the other.**

**Join siDEADde, Avalonia, and Devi Ancy in their little dirty journey into a world we are fascinated with….**

**Voyeurism.**

**Ha-voyeur-self a Merry Little Christmas**

**The following story is full of ADULT CONTENT. If you are NOT an adult, then you should be reading something else.**

Ha-voyeur-self a Merry Little Christmas

_'This is ridiculous.'_ Bella told herself_. 'I can't believe I'm this nervous. Why should I be nervous? How is surprising my boyfriend, on Christmas Eve, no less, at all scandalous?'_ Still, she couldn't deny that as she drove into the familiar driveway of Edward's parents' home her stomach was jumpier than a child's anticipating Santa Claus's arrival.

Anxious as she was, she'd already unfastened her seatbelt and was halfway out of the car before she realized what she was doing_. 'It's not much of a surprise if you leave your car in the driveway for all to see, Bella.'_ She mentally rolled her eyes at herself and then fumbled in her purse for Edward's spare keys. She dropped them twice just trying to get her shaking fingers around the garage door opener. Finally pressing the button, she drove in as soon as it was open. Edward never parked in his parents' garage when he visited…hopefully, he wouldn't have any reason to look inside when he arrived.

As soon as the garage door rolled down behind her, Bella jumped out of the car, grabbing the shopping bags out of the passenger seat. It took her another minute to locate the right key on Edward's keychain before she managed to unlock the door and let herself inside.

A quick glance at her watch made her grit her teeth. She was running late…no time to be demure now. If she wanted to make this Edward's most memorable Christmas Eve ever, she had to get moving.

Quickly, Bella upended the white shopping bag onto the cream beige sofa in the living room and inventoried the contents.

Black, seam lined thigh high stockings? Check.

Extra pair in probable case of running? Check.

Open toed stilettos, also black? Check.

Shiny new burgundy red tube of lipstick? Eyeliner pencil, also new? Check and check.

And…she gulped as she surveyed it. Two of the scariest garments she'd ever seen, purchased just yesterday, with the rest of her newbie seductress supplies, at a store appropriately titled 'Pandora's Box'. The first piece was again black, immensely tight fitting…some kind of girdle slash corset slash torture device. It laced all the way up the front…except that the front stopped, rather abruptly, right below her breast line. The other piece was a lacy, see through bra…but the saleslady had assured her, with a rather broad and too knowing wink, that the garment worked better without it.

_'C'mon, Swan._' Bella told herself impatiently. _'If you're going to do this, might as well go all the way.'_She stuffed the bra back into the shopping bag.

Another look at the clock had her grabbing her wares. She was about to head into the bathroom but scoffed at her own skittishness. It wasn't like anyone was home. Hurriedly, she stripped down to her undergarments, and then, after a second of hesitation, peeled them off as well until she was completely nude. Then, because she couldn't' stand the feel of the unheated air on her bare ass any longer, she wriggled into the corset type thing first. It was more of a struggle than she remembered, but of course yesterday she'd had the saleslady come barging in the dressing room and start squeezing her parts into places she had no idea that 1) she'd ever allow a stranger to touch and 2) that could be compressed into such awkward positions.

One careful thigh high operation later and she was nearly ready. It was an odd sensation to feel her breasts jiggle slightly as she moved, completely unrestrained. Odd but…strangely exhilarating. Especially when she imagined the look on Edward's face when he opened the door to his parents home, not expecting anyone else for hours, and saw her standing there, half naked and clearly ready to play in a way that they'd never even had the courage to discuss before in their year long relationship.

It wasn't that Edward wasn't everything to her, because he was. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, that the perfect guy really did exist and strangest of all, he was her boyfriend and just as crazy in love with her as she was with him. And their sex life wasn't at all bad. It just…it wasn't…well, she'd kept those thoughts to herself, the ones that said there had to be something more, but they kept nagging at her until she had the worst thought of all: What if he felt that way too? What if he was…bored? What if someone more adventurous showed up and lured him away?, Like her round heeled coworker Tanya, who already practically drooled on herself every time Edward showed up at work to bring her something?

No, she wasn't about to let that happen. And this wasn't something she was just doing for him, either. The tingle up and down her spine was proof enough…she wanted this too.

Bella stared at herself in the mirror after she'd finished her makeup. She didn't do much with her hair aside from brush it out and leave it flowing. Still, the woman in the oval mirror was…well, there was no denying it. She looked like the person she wanted to be tonight…wanton, wild, even a little bit dangerous. Hesitating a moment, she stepped back so that she could see herself more fully, and blushed at the sight of her topless self staring back. Edward was either going to faint dead away or attack her. She was betting on the latter.

Just as she'd finished shoving her discarded clothing into the shopping bag, Bella heard it, the unmistakable, if far away sound of a car turning up the long drive. Her mind exulted. Damn – this was sooner than she'd expected. _Edward!_His flight must have gotten in early. She'd been planning on lighting some candles and turning on music but no time for that now. Maybe she could arrange herself reclining on the couch, just so…

Her cell phone picked that most inconvenient time to ring and she hastily dug it out of her purse to silence it, but the name on the Caller ID stopped her. Bella flipped it open.

"Edward?" She smiled, anticipating the sound of his voice.

"Bella." His voice was warm. "Look, I'm so sorry but my flight was delayed. I'm catching the next one in about fifteen minutes, but I might be a little late for the party."

Bella laughed. "Late? Sure you are." She scoffed as she listened to the car outside pull into the driveway.. "Nice try, Edward." It was clearly a ruse…after all he had just pulled in. He must have been trying to surprise her with some kind of set up…a Christmas present, perhaps? She smiled, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she imagined the look on his face that she was only seconds away from seeing. She definitely had the upper hand in the surprise department this time around.

"Nice try?" He sounded puzzled. "What do you mean?" In the background she heard an electronic voice suddenly flare to life. 'Flight 23, now boarding at Gate 1A. "Bella, that's me. I've got to run – see you in a few hours!"

The phone was disconnected. Bella stared at it blankly, then the slamming of the car door, followed by a tinkling laugh, broke into her stupor. Oh shit! He really was still at the airport. That wasn't him outside! It was…

"Stop it, Jasper!" Another high-pitched laugh answered that question and Bella broke out into a sweat.

******

Shopping with the whirling dervish usually wasn't Jasper's idea of a great time, but the tiny beauty usually rewarded his holiday effort and patience with several mind and load blowing activities. Last year, she had modeled barely-there panties and lace-scrap bras in the dressing room of Victoria's Secret until he was paralyzed with arousal. He had gotten to the point where he was alternatingly closing and opening his eyes: the first to try to hide from her physical perfection and the second to try to stop the vivid fantasies of shredding the unowned lace and showing her just how much fucking Christmas spirit he had. Emphasis on fucking. She had him wrapped around her little finger, but he was well aware and didn't care. Right before he had almost lost his mind in that pink-paneled prison, she had dropped to her knees and had him singing Gloria in excelsis, Deeeeooooo.

Today, though, he had sulked and pouted when she had told him there was last minute shopping to do. He hated the mall on Christmas Eve, always decked in frenetic tension and poor drivers. The milling crowds and stress made him anxious and he didn't like being anxious. It just didn't agree with his stomach.

"I have to buy Bella and Rosalie their presents, Jazz" she had explained, and seeing his reluctance, a wicked glint sparked in those baby blues. "I'll make it worth your while."

_How high, baby?_ He felt the grin tug at the corners of his mouth as he recalled Emmett and Edward giving him hell for his inability to refuse Alice anything. When she said jump...he did. They didn't know that she always made it worth his while. They would have been jumping too, but fucking your sister, or having your sister-in-law blow you into oblivion is generally frowned upon. He didn't begrudge their ignorance either. _Let them think me whipped,_ he thought as he rose from his spot in front of the flat-screen and shrugged into his coat, _because maybe for this little favor I just might be._

Jasper gave a resigned sigh as he looked from the road to his watch and noted they'd been at the mall much longer than planned. "It's going to snow this afternoon." Her voice, as crisp and bright as the aforementioned phenomenon, jerked him right from his mall-mood and put a slight skip in his step.

"My parents aren't home yet." And he could tell by the sound of her voice and the shift of her hips, that she had anticipated this and had planned accordingly. Her voice was a breathy purr as she continued. "I thought perhaps we'd wrap the gifts, and then I'd unwrap you."

His knuckles tightened on the wheel for a moment before he dropped one hand onto her leg. Layers, there were too many damn layers between his palm and her hot, creamy thigh.

"Take this fucking coat off."

He growled and swatted at the gabardine, frustrated at her smug smile. He growled again when she didn't lift a finger to help him and merely shifted lower into her seat. _Fine, if she wanted to play that game…_ But he couldn't help but touch, the whole naughty factor in the car, the whole fact that every driver who sat up higher than the little Beemer could see his hand up Alice's skirt and her writhing on the seat. _Two steps into the door, that's all she gets. We'll christen the doormat._ His foot involuntarily stomped on the gas and they sped towards the house.

*****

Oh God. Shit, shit, shit….Bella chanted in her head. She could not be found like this. Not half naked. Not in this scrap of an excuse for lingerie that she didn't even know if she'd have the guts to let Edward see her in. There was no time - she heard the jingle of the keys, the laughter on the other side of the door, and she knew they were coming in, _right now. _And here she was standing there in thigh high stockings with nipples sticking out so far they could have been hitching a ride.

_Escape!_Her mind screamed at her as the doorknob turned and desperately, she obeyed. The small rational corner of her mind reminded her to not leave any evidence of her unexpected arrival, so she snatched up the shopping bag and turned to flee.

Panic had turned Bella's quick wits into mush. She grabbed the doorknob of the first partially opened door she found and dove inside – only to realize a split second too late that she'd just jumped into the empty coat closet just off the living room. With a whimper of desperation she jerked the door back open, intending to run towards the back of the house, but at that precise moment the front door swung open. With a gasp that she desperately prayed no one had heard, she pulled the closet door as closed as she could without actually slamming it shut, afraid whoever had arrived would hear the noise and come to investigate.

With cheeks flushed from Jasper's attentions and the extended walk from the car in the cold, Alice burst through the front door and threw the shopping bags holding the newly purchased gifts onto the couch. Coats were dropped to the floor in haste, followed quickly by his sweater.

The laughter was louder now and for a moment Bella felt relief. It was Alice, Edward's younger sister. Bella couldn't say she knew her that well…despite the fact that Alice had always been friendly, the two of them had never really had a chance to connect – both were busy and moved in completely different social circles. Still, if anyone had to find her in this most mortifying of situations she'd rather it be Alice than anyone else.

_Please, let them just be here to drop something off. Leave!_ Bella begged silently, but the merciful gods were not smiling upon her…they were probably too busy rolling on the floor laughing at her predicament. She took a deep breath and eyed the crack in the door, realizing that as slight as it was she still had a pretty good view of the living room – and of the couple entwined in front of the Christmas tree.

Yet another blush bloomed on her face, but she fought it back, trying to think rationally. Clearly, Alice and Jasper had plans that did _not_ involve trimming the tree. Well, that could be good, right? Any second they'd head off to one of the bedrooms and she could make an escape with no one the wiser. Any second now…

Bella had almost made up her mind to open the door, humiliation be damned, and throw herself on Alice's mercy when she heard her speak.

"My brother will be here in an hour, Jazz. I refuse to get caught blaspheming the tree skirt." Alice's words came in gasps between kisses; her fingers delicately traced a line from Jasper's chin, down his throat, between perfect pectorals and flat abs to stop at the top of his tailored pants. His hands trembled by his sides as he fought picking up her diminutive frame and bending her over the back of the couch.

Bella turned scarlet and shrank back behind the empty hangers that offered her no cover at all. Damn it all, Jasper, Alice's tall, quiet boyfriend, was there too. There was no way, under any threat of torture; she was going out there now. What the hell was she going to do?

"Oh we're going to do this right, little one. You're driving me mad." He still hadn't moved his arms, and Alice took advantage of his hesitation by dancing out of his reach. _We're going to do more than defile the tree skirt; this whole tree is going to go down._ _Well, someone's going down at least._ He chuckled in spite of himself. It took two strides before he was beside her again, and he grabbed her wrist before she could retreat. In a flash, she wrapped the Burberry scarf she'd bought today around his wrist, ducked under the tied arm and was behind him. _The little devil..._

Alice brought her hand to the front of his pants and traced her finger along the zipper. The feather-light touch did nothing to relieve any of the tension building in his belly, so he reached to cover her hand with his free one to add pressure. Again, cat-quick, she looped the free end of the scarf around his bent elbow and tied his wrist to his free arm forming an almost immobile number 4 behind his back.

"Fuck, Alice...I'm going to go insane." He could have jerked his arm away had he thought she actually had the ability to immobilize his arms. Now it was too late. _But, God, it was so hot._She walked around him, finger trailing just above his pants until she was directly in front of him. She raised her face to his, her pale blue eyes darkened with lust and power. She raised both hands to the button and undid it slowly, never taking her eyes from his. Tiny fingers parted the fabric, and, eyes still turned up to his, she pressed her pouting lips against his stomach.

"Kneel" Her voice was a whisper, but he dropped to his knees as if shot. Her fingers went to the top button of her clingy blouse and with agonizing slowness, she unbuttoned the six ivory discs and let the silk slip down her shoulders, sleeves pooled around her bent elbows. The huge discrepancy in height was gone now, and his eyes burned directly into hers during her little strip tease.

_Deep breath Bella, 1, 2, 3 and let's go…_Bella's eyes flicked back to the cracked door and she saw Jasper on his knees in front of Alice. Omigod! They were going to…right there?! Oh for the love of… And what was up with his hands? Did she _tie_ them?

Well.

This was certainly awkward.

Of all the stupid, idiotic fixes to get yourself into, Swan. She cursed herself silently. _Oh, let's be adventurous and surprise Edward! Brilliant plan…don't bother to double check and make sure Edward is really coming home tonight, and especially that no one else has changed their plans. Now you're stuck, shivering your ass off in a fucking closet while Alice and Jasper are…well_, fucking_._

Although that wasn't quite the word for what the two of them were currently up to. Bella bit her lip as her eyes traveled back to the cracked door and the sliver of room beyond it. She shouldn't be watching this…she should be staring back down at her feet, completely mortified, desperately trying to think her way out of this and yet the tableau in the room beyond seemed to command her gaze.

"Ali, baby, come here please." He wheedled, his grey eyes darker than storm clouds, voice dripping with desire. "I want to touch you."

Her only response was to bite her full bottom lip and shake her head slowly. "No, Jasper, I told you I would make it worth your while." She walked away from him then, over to the twelve-foot tree, and motioned for him to follow. The tree was amazing, like everything else in the Brandon-Cullen household, and the crushed velvet skirt fanned out around the tree like a white cloud. Jasper crossed the room on his knees, reveling in the eye-level view of her tits. He had always been a quality over quantity kind of guy, holding the belief that more than a mouthful was a waste. He needed that mouthful, right-the-fuck now. She might be playing games, but he knew a few cheats. Kneeling on the billowing skirt with Alice less than an arm's reach away, he switched tactics.

"Alice," His voice was low, sultry, and commanding, no hint of the previous pleading. "Take off your bra...but leave the shirt." The flare of desire in her already smoldering eyes made his dick jump, and he fought back a shuddering moan. "Now."

She reached behind her, arching her back, and unclasped the lacey satin strapless demi. Eyes locked with his, she let it fall to the hardwood and moved her palms to the small of her back, emphasizing the thrust of her chest. He spent a reverent moment worshipping the creamy mounds and hard rosy nipples with his eyes. This time he couldn't stop the groan. "Come here, Ali." He motioned with his free hand.

She stepped forward and he rocked back to sit on his heels and nuzzle her flat belly, then circle her navel with his tongue. She drew in a hitching breath and shivered, goose bumps roughening the silky skin of her stomach. She made as if to step back away from him again, but he had enough give in the scarf to palm her hip and keep her in front of him. He growled as his thumb crushed against her hipbone. "Don't move."

Her small frame trembled as he traced a path with his tongue from her belly button to the turgid peak of her right breast. He wanted nothing more than to crush her to him and involuntarily struggled with his bonds. "Ali, I want to touch you, but you've made this impossible. Untie me please?" His thumb rubbed a pattern through her heavy black velvet skirt onto her hipbone as she deliberated. Hoping to influence her decision, he hooked his forefinger into waistband and pulled it just low enough to nibble on the tiny moon and stars tattoo on the point of her hip.

Her hands buried themselves into his unruly blond hair, and he reacted with less control than he thought he had. She was right on the edge between freeing him or forcing him backwards and he didn't know which he wanted more. He pulled the band of her skirt a bit lower and caught the black satin ribbon of her panties in his teeth. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, aware that she had worn these for him. They tied on the sides, and he had once spent the better part of an afternoon in bed, with her clad only in the black slip of fabric held on by ribbons, tying and untying them. There was a definite theme to her intentions today and he knew then she was going to refuse his request. Before she had him on his back, he pulled the ribbon in his teeth and watched as the silken loop slipped through the knot and hung suggestively over the crooked band of her skirt.

She tugged at his hair, and pulled him back up to his knees to meet her hungry mouth. His hand dropped from her hip as he tried to cup her face in his palm. She stepped back just enough to continue the kiss yet move her body from his limited reach. He groaned into her mouth, and caught her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it lightly. Her hands tightened in his hair, and she deepened the kiss, their tongues dancing. Alice broke away with a ragged gasp, and slid her hands to his broad shoulders.

It was entrancing. There was no other word for it. Bella was completely and utterly captivated by the forbidden sights before her. She shivered again, beginning to realize that it wasn't from the chill. In fact, the tiny closet was beginning to feel increasingly warm. Even as she realized it, she felt a tiny rivet of sweat trickle down her back.

In the room beyond, Alice cried out and Bella bit her lip, hard and then licked the tiny wound her teeth had inflicted, tasting iron. She had to stop this, watching, imagining…

The noises beyond her hidden enclave increased and Bella felt her nipples tighten in response. Instinctively, she tensed, trying to deny her body's physical reaction, and her fingers crept to her mouth. She thought for a moment she was biting her nail, a nervous habit she'd long ago stopped trying to quit. It took her a moment to become aware that she was softly sucking her own fingertip, her tongue dancing around it like… She blushed wildly, realizing the act she was mimicking, and guilty as a child caught with her hands in the cookie jar she pulled her hand away from her mouth.

But there was no denying it now. She was turned on. Possibly more turned on then she'd ever been in her life. Not that Edward didn't excite her, not that her sex life with him wasn't satisfying, if a little on the cautious side, and she blamed herself for that, all those inhibitions that had held her back. Still, wasn't that why she'd come here tonight? To be spontaneous? To shed some of that reserve and walk on the wild side for once? Be more like…well, like what she was seeing play out right before her, a a fantasy come to brilliantly erotic life. Be more like Alice.

Her fingers were on the move again, unbidden. Her forefinger was still wet, and it found her nipple, circled it carefully. Bella sucked in a breath as heat raced through her body at the sensation. She felt another trickle of moisture but this wasn't sweat…she was wet. So wet and aroused, her whole body ached with need. Her finger became more insistent, tracing the rock hard, red tip of her breast and she had to bite her lip all over again to keep the moan back. She shouldn't….not here, not now – she could barely touch herself when she was alone and in the darkened privacy of her own bedroom. How could she do it here, in a closet, in Edward's parents' house? In this absurd situation?

And still her fingers traveled across her welcoming flesh, creeping downward to tease at the second rosy peak, doubling the tingle that was shooting all through her. The urge to moan, to make some noise befitting the fire building within, was hard to suppress. The ache between her legs intensified, and she wanted nothing more than to be with Edward at the moment. She wanted him on top of her, under her, inside of her…any way she could get him she wanted him. This was some kind of exquisitely executed torture, to be trapped here under these circumstances, _alone_, when she was feeling more passionate and uninhibited than she'd ever felt in her life. Another low whisper, garbled but sensual in tone drew her attention from herself to the couple.

"Lie down." Alice leaned her tiny frame against Jasper's chest and pushed, tumbling them both to the floor. His movements were even more restricted with his arm trapped behind him, so he surrendered himself to her "making-it-worth-his-while." She pushed herself up off his chest; skirt bunched around her hips, and straddled his thighs. Smoky-grey eyes followed the curve of her bare shoulders and swell of her breasts, drinking in the contrast of her raven hair against porcelain skin, startling blue eyes framed by thick coal-black lashes.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Alice. I love you." For an innocent moment, she was no longer the sultry seductress, just his smiling Alice: quirky, smart, funny Ali. Then she scooted up his body and brought the heat of her mound against his engorged cock and rocked. His eyes rolled back, and he clutched at her hip with his hand. The trailing ribbons twined around his fingers, and he fought back the urge to rip them off of her body.

Part of Bella still couldn't believe she was doing this as she caressed her own nipples, her whole body taut with the pleasure spreading through her. Her eyes fell closed, and she no longer resisted the force of her own desire. It was Edward there with her, she imagined, seeing the scene take shape on the back of her eyelids. She saw him there, standing before her, all his restraint and propriety gone, exactly the reaction she'd wanted from him. She felt him grab her arms, dragging her towards him, not worrying for once if he was being too rough. It was his mouth on her breast, sucking, gently at first and then harder, nipping the peak lightly with his teeth as he crushed the other beneath a demanding hand.

_Yes, please_…she moaned in her own fantasy, so lost in lust that she almost forgot where she was. Eyes still closed, she swayed in time with her fantasy self and then stumbled, just slightly.

The creak of the closet door was an abrupt cold shower. When she'd moved, she'd bumped it, just slightly, and it opened an inch…far enough for anyone looking to clearly see that someone was standing behind it.

Intuition, Alice called it. Whatever is was, it was eerie how her tiny body would freeze and her ice-blue eyes would glaze over for a fraction of a second. His little soothsayer's hips stilled as her eyes lapsed into a familiar stare. Jasper groaned and struggled to free his arms, but was stopped by the tiny smile playing on her perfect lips.

"Ali- rmmmm." A tortured moan cut off his initial protest as she circled her hips against his swollen cock once more. "Oh what you do to me, you little witch."

Her lip, that full, suckable, bottom lip, poked out in a mock pout, but her eyes never shifted from their scrutinous gaze at the slightly ajar closet door. She rocked her tiny dancer's body again and then giggled as he arched up, desperate for the friction.

"All in good time, love." She dragged her eyes from the door behind him. "I'm not done with you yet."

Pure horror closed Bella's throat and stole her breath for a moment as she saw Alice's dark head turn in her direction. The other woman was sitting astride Jasper, her shirt open revealing her small, perfect breasts, and she was looking _straight at her_. Bella froze like a deer caught in the headlights. Her earlier fear of humiliation was nothing compared to what she was sure she was about to experience. Alice was sure to come storming over any moment, yank open the door and demand an explanation. And she had not a single good excuse for why she hadn't revealed herself as soon as they'd walked in the door, why instead she had hid in the closet and watched them like some twisted pervert.

The few seconds that Alice's eyes held hers seemed to stretch interminably on. Jasper moved underneath her and Alice's eyes seem to glaze. She turned languidly away from the closet, her petite frame relaxed as she leaned forward to tease Jasper once more.

_What…why… _Bella's head swam in confusion as she watched Alice get up and walk across the floor. She was sure Alice had seen her…she'd looked right at her! But no…she would have said something. She must not have noticed…she did have an awfully good reason to be distracted.

Jasper's devilish little angel's eyes were sparking mischief and sex, her silk shirt fluttered around her arms as she walked to the docked iPod. Guaraldi's jazzy Greensleeves filled the room. He smiled as he realized he would now forever associate the song, and consequentially the Peanuts cartoon, with sex in front of the Christmas tree. The twinkling tree provided the only light in the huge room, but the dimness did nothing to hide the flush on Alice's pale skin.

She swayed slightly with the cascading piano, eyes once again locked on Jasper as he lie prone in front of her. The fingers of her left hand toyed absentmindedly with the satin ribbons trailing from her waistband, while her right hand slid up her smooth belly to cup her breast. Jasper's hungry gaze followed her delicate fingers as they circled her dusky pink nipple, teasing it to a peak. Her breath caught, and she bit her lip as she rolled the hardened nub between thumb and forefinger.

"Ali, baby, please...I don't think I-" He was about to beg, to plead, to promise her anything just to have his hands free. She cut him off.

"You know Jazz, I should have bought this scarf for Bella ages ago and hid it. The coat closet seems to be like the perfect hiding place for Christmas gifts."

His brow furrowed at her statement, but before he could ask her why she had thought of such an odd thing to say, she had unzipped the heavy black material of her skirt and dropped it to the floor. His eyes raked over her, creamy-white skin flushed pink, the satin scrap of her panties held up by one hip, and promptly pushed the question out of his mind. She could say whatever she wanted as long as she untied him.

Just as Bella had begun to breathe again, her whole body heavy with relief, Alice's shirt floated to the floor. She knew she was pressing her luck, standing there with the door cracked instead of moving back into the shadows, but as Alice's hand trailed upward to tease at her own nipple, just like what Bella had been doing moments ago, she couldn't bring herself to think about any type of self preservation. Instead heated desire began to twist through her once more. She felt the tug as the twin peaks of her breasts hardened and the corresponding heat spread between her thighs. For a moment it was almost an out of body experience, as if she could feel exactly what the other woman was feeling, and then she realized that her own fingers had traveled upward again, mimicking Alice's actions. A jolt of pure pleasure had her biting her lip to remain silent.

Alice was speaking again, but it took Bella a moment to focus on what she was saying. When the words penetrated her brain, Bella gasped out loud. _Hiding in the closet! That's what she had said! Alice knew she was here, Alice knew she was watching and why, in holy hell, if that was true, was the woman _still _undressing?_

No, no, she couldn't know. Unless…unless she did. And she didn't care. Or maybe…maybe this whole spectacle, maybe the fact that her boyfriend's petite sister was shedding her remaining clothing with the finesse of a burlesque stripper was all for Bella. A performance…Bella's own personal private dancer.

And dance Alice did, back to Jasper, ribbons fluttering, as lissome as a prima ballerina. Her last undulating twirl brought her back to his side and she dropped into a graceful crouch. She leaned forward, brushing her sensitive nipples across his bound arm, and whispered in his ear.

"I'll untie you, but you have to promise not to move unless I say."

He wouldn't agree yet, not with the heat from her sex radiating across his free hand. His reach may be limited, mobility restricted, but she was close enough to touch. He wanted a bargaining point here. Her show or not, he was going to be an active participant. He needed to drive her to the brink of insanity so that they were both balanced at the edge of the precipice.

He bent his elbow and traced his fingers up the inside of her thigh, savoring her breathy moan and jump of the muscles in her leg. She was so hot and he could see the darkened fabric where the satin absorbed her wetness. He traced along the edge of her panties and she moved into his touch, silently demanding. Her forehead rested on his shoulder and her tiny body rose and fell with each panting breath. _Maybe she was already as strung along as he was._ The thought brought a smug smile to his lips.

It was nothing more than a fantastical notion and yet …just the idea that it could be true had Bella burning in places she blushed to think about. _She knows._ The wild edge to her arousal was impossible to resist. Her whole body throbbed, ached…begged to be touched and sated. Just the tips of her fingernails, scratching lightly across the tight black cloth clinging to her torso and then teasing at the place where her flesh became accessible was wildly erotic. As she burned trails into her own skin Bella imagined again, that she was with Edward, that her hands were lightly caressing his satin skin as he became rigid with need. She saw herself trailing a languorous fingertip slowly, ever so slowly, from the nape of his neck down to the base of his spine, watching goose bumps mark the path as she went….

Jasper's fingers grabbed the tied ribbons on Alice's hip and yanked, the little scrap of satin fluttering to the floor. She was trembling, anticipating his touch, and he wanted to tease her as much as she teased him. "Please Jazz." Two words from her and he almost lost his course.

"Untie me."

As her hands fumbled at the knots in the scarf, he slipped his fingers along the swollen folds of her sex. Jasper felt her hands stop, and she pushed down and back, desperate to have his fingers inside. He smiled again, and pulled his hand away. "Untie me, Alice...then I'll give you whatever you want." She whimpered and pulled at the last knot and the scarf slid away from his body pooling on the floor next to her crouched frame.

Jasper slid his arm out from behind his body and cupped her chin in his hand. He brought his other hand to his lips and watched her eyes darken as he sucked her arousal off of his fingers.

"Delicious, you." His tone was even, belying the desire to shove her to the floor and fuck her to pieces. "I want more." Not waiting for her response, he crushed his mouth to hers, swallowing her throaty moans and pulled her gloriously naked body into his lap.

She laughed breathlessly but the sound cut off with a hiss as his hands found her nipples, pulling at them lightly with his fingertips and then circling them carefully with his thumb. A low sigh escaped through her clenched teeth. Smiling, he gently pushed her just the slightest bit lower on his thighs and lowered his head to put his tongue where his fingers had just been.

"Jasper…" His name, moaned on her lips, only excited him more. Her hands buried themselves in his hair to pull him closer, inviting him to do more than just tease with his tongue. "Please Jazz…"

"What do you want, baby?" He sucked the sensitive nub into his mouth, applying more pressure and causing her to arch up in his embrace. His free hand traced up and down her legs, fingers lightly caressing the inside or her thighs.

"I want you naked and inside me." Her moaned request was nearly his undoing. His eyes closed as he attempted to regain control over his fuck-her-to-pieces impulse. He gently scooted her to the floor next to him and shed the offending articles of clothing. Then he turned to admire her in the twinkling lights.

Alice was seated, one hand braced behind her and the other between her raised knees. Her head was tilted to the side, and Jasper was torn between attacking the soft skin of her exposed neck and crawling between her knees to bury his face into heaven. He opted for heaven.

He watched as her fingers delicately traced her wet, pink folds. He could feel her eyes on him as he crawled to her, could see how she fought to keep her movements slow and sensual when what she obviously wanted to do was get off. _This is going to be fun._ His thoughts were all over his face. Alice shivered and closed her eyes.

He knelt between her knees and brought her hand to his lips, "Look at me Ali." Her eyes flashed open, piercing blue, and he felt his cock tighten even more. _Fuck…now. To hell with retribution._ With a shuddering breath, he took each finger into his mouth, one by one, and sucked her sweetness off of them. Alice was panting now, her tiny body rocking slightly, her eyes begging for what she wouldn't say aloud. _Goddd._

He dropped her hand to the floor and lightning-fast cupped her smooth ass in the palms of his hands. He lifted her hips up to his mouth; both of her arms now braced behind her, and impossibly slowly, tongued the wet heat of her center.

"Oh god Jazz…" It was almost a sob, created by frustration at her precarious position and his tormenting tongue. "Please…harder, please."

For a brief second he contemplated lowering her hips and plunging his almost painfully throbbing cock home, but she tasted too good to stop and he liked the high he got from almost bringing her to tears with his mouth. He knew he couldn't keep this up long, she would turn the tables, and he would soon be begging for his own release. He slid her thighs onto his shoulders, and feverishly licked and sucked until he felt her arms trembling. He slowed his pace. His tongue leisurely circling her swollen clit, then stopped and looked up her taut belly. Her head was thrown back, so he saw nothing but her quivering chin and heaving breasts.

Lost as Bella was in her own world, it took a cry from Alice to bring her back. The sound was raw, almost feral. Bella opened her eyes once more, and then they nearly dropped from her skull as she took in the tableau before her. Alice was leaning backward on the floor, spread open, and Jasper's golden head was buried between her thighs, the bobbing movement making it all too clear what he was doing. The sight was inflaming. Alice glistened as she writhed underneath Jasper's tongue, no shame or caution in her.

Pure, raging lust consumed Bella now, washing away the shame and she returned her attention to the scene just feet away. Her eyes eagerly toured over the entwined bodies, her breath sounding in time with the ebb and flow of their undulating figures.

Downward, her fingers crept, lower and lower until she was caressing black lace. There was hesitation, yes, but only less than a second before her hand slid slowly inside the scrap of a garment.

Bella's fingers slid past her silken curls and into the dampness between her legs. The embarrassment she had felt rapidly peeled away at the electricity of feeling her own soft finger against her swollen, eager nub. At first, she was tentative. She lightly exploring her damp folds and then as the need became more intense, she allowed herself to tease at her hardened clit. Holy shit, the way that made her feel… Bella had never wanted to cry out with pleasure more than she did right at that moment. Nothing mattered to her any more except getting the release she desperately craved.

"Come for me, Ali." Jasper murmured against her clit, the humming vibrations evoked a shuddering whimper from her lolled head. "I'm not going to let you down until you come."

He held her with one arm, bringing the other hand between her clenching thighs. Nothing slow this time, he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to plunge himself into her while her body pulsed in release. She was weak for finger play, and he knew it. His lips and tongue caressed her clit as he pushed two fingers into her, curling them to hit her sweet spot. She cried out, sobbing his name, and would have collapsed had he not dropped her hips and rolled backwards, pulling her onto his rigid cock.

The triple impact of what she was watching, what she was imaging, and what she was feeling infused every nerve ending until it felt like her entire body had caught on fire. Bella's fingers danced within the confines of her garment now, soaked with her own juices, touching around her tender center with an increasing fervor. The sounds of bliss from the living room matched the sound of her ragged breathing as she fell into their rhythm, her own strokes echoing the rise and fall of Alice's ethereal form as she moved up and down. Bella's tongue darting out to lick at her lips, one hand pulsing between her legs and the other darting from rosy, well tenderized nipple to the other.

"Ali..." His low voice was strained, and thick with desire. "Look at me, baby." Her gaze was hooded and so fucking sexy. He loved her afterglow, the sultry smile, but he didn't get to see the blue soften unless she came twice. He wanted to get lost in those sky-blue eyes. He slid his eyes down her body, enjoying the flush and subtle dampness of her smooth skin. Her position left him a clear view of her body joined with his. He knew she was watching him, and he braced himself for the maelstrom to come.

He could see her smile from his peripheral vision, but he couldn't tear his gaze from their joined bodies. Alice raised herself slowly, and he groaned as he saw his cock, slick with her cum, slide from her body. She hovered over him, the head of his dick poised at her slick center, and smiled the devil's own smile. _Afterglow buzz, damn her._ He grabbed her hips roughly and forced her down on him, and she cried out, this time in combined pain and pleasure.

"Fuck Jazz, I'm going to bruise." Her whimper was just short of a moan, and his eyes rolled back and closed. _God so close._

But he knew that already, it had been his intention. There was something about the bruises his fingers branded across her hips that drove him wild. She might act upset, but she liked being marked. She would parade around in low-slung jeans and midriff shirts after a particularly aggressive night, and he would gently line his fingers up with the marks as she gyrated against him.

Alice wasn't the only one in danger of being marked. As Bella watched the erotic display before her, mesmerized, her own fingers fondled her clit with an intensity that bordered on pain. Watching Alice's face, the rapture as she threw her head back, had to be the most titillating thing she'd ever seen. The sense that Bella was stealing glances at something very forbidden only added to the atmosphere. She was close…so close to exploding herself, and it was almost scary, how out of control she felt. Her body wanted to take her somewhere she'd never been alone, and as hot as she was, desperate for satisfaction, she wasn't sure if she could let herself go all the way.

New, urgent noises from the room beyond called to her just then, letting her know that the show wasn't over yet…

"Let go and put your arms out." Alice pushed his arms out and to the floor, as if crucifying him under the tree. Jasper wasn't about to resist; he knew where this was leading. Keeping them there was going to be the only challenge. "Don't move unless I tell you."

She pushed herself back up, scratching her nails down his chest and across his nipples, to settle him balls-deep inside her. He involuntarily thrust up, hands fisting into the snowy tree skirt, and watched as the pink lips of her pussy stretched around the base of his cock. She arched elegantly, and the soft jiggle of her tits called to his outstretched hands. The knuckles barely left the floor before he felt her clench around him, stopping him short.

"Ah ah ah, Alice didn't say."

Then the dance began, and he was caught and pulled under her spell. Her tiny ballerina's body lithely rose and fell, and she synched her movements with his hitching gasps, slow and even then becoming faster, harsher, losing rhythm. She stopped at his rumbling moan and his arms twitched, needing to clasp her hips, to palm her breasts, to fucking do something, but the retribution she would dole out would make him insane.

Somewhere in the haze of lust and abandon, Bella was aware that Alice's fiery blue gaze held her enthralled, that their eyes were locked on each other. Alice's diminutive frame swayed, rocked, gripping and commanding Jasper beneath her as Bella watched now without the least bit of shame. The ceiling could have caved in on her at that point, and she would not have been able to look away. As she remained locked in Alice's bewitching gaze, she explored herself further, teasing the very center of herself, and then sliding deep inside to mimic the spectacle that had her spellbound. Vibrations shuddered through her and she felt the explosion coming, ready to rip through her. It was blissful agony to slow herself down…she wanted to savor this for as long as she could.

"Are you ready, Jazz?" He watched as she brought her smoldering gaze back down from somewhere over his head.

"Yes, good lord, yes." It wouldn't be good enough normally, but he hoped she was feeling the holiday spirit.

Her hands came up to toy with her breasts, rolling and tugging at her hardened pink nipples as she began again, riding him hard and fast. He felt her squeeze then shudder, and he started to meet her thrusts, sliding her up and down on his cock. The friction increased, impossibly tighter, slicker as his dick swelled in response to her bouncing tits and the soft little moans he was fucking out of her. _Can't hold on_...

"Now Jas...."

Before she could finish, his hands shot from the floor and he had her tiny waist in his hands driving deeper, faster, harder. Tighter now, they were both so close. The blood roared in his ears; he could barely hear her as she cried out and slumped forward onto his chest. He thrust once more and exploded into her tight spasming pussy. _So fucking worth it..._

Whether it was Jasper's animalistic groan or Alice's own low scream that did it, Bella didn't know, but as the sounds of their ecstasy merged, it became her own. She felt herself tighten around her fingers, the trembling spreading throughout her system. Stars burst behind her now closed eyelids and she bit down on her lip to hold the scream back. Her hips were actually bucking against her hand, completely unrestrained, and she came so hard that she wasn't sure if her shaking legs could hold her up any longer. This orgasm seemed to linger, reluctant to leave such a welcoming host, and she had to lean against the wall for several seconds, trying to catch her breath.

Jasper's fingers drew lazy circles on Alice's back and he felt her relax against him. Recovery was slow, but he remembered where he was and the time schedule they were on. Then that intuition shit again as she read his mind.

"Edward will be here soon. Let's go change. I have to wrap this scarf up for Bella, and get Rosalie's gift in a gift bag." Alice raised her head to brush a kiss to his chin. "Come on, Jazz."

Alice and Jasper had been out of the room for a couple of minutes before Bella could bring herself to move. As soon as the waves of pleasure had dissipated, self-consciousness and mortification had taken its place. What had she just done? She was some kind of sick deviant, a voyeur prone to flights of fantasy she hadn't even been aware of. No matter what she'd imagined, Alice couldn't have known she was there and Jasper certainly hadn't. They'd hate her, if they knew. They'd think she was sick, and so would Edward. No one could ever find out. . She didn't know how she was going to face Alice and Jasper now, after she'd just spent the last hour getting off on their sexual escapades, but she would have to.

The sound of distant laughter coming from the guest bedroom reminded her that she didn't have time to get analytical. Quickly, Bella grabbed her shopping bag, crept out of the closet as silently as possible, grabbed the rest of her clothing, and hurried back through the side door to the garage. Once safely hidden, she redressed as quickly as possible, throwing the clothes she'd arrived in over her risqué undergarments, used tissue from her purse to wipe off her smeared makeup, fluffed her hair, and prepared to pretend that none of this had ever happened.

****

The house filled with the sounds and smells of the holidays. Esme and Carlisle had gotten home just in time for an enormous dinner that Bella had thoughtfully prepared. Rosalie and Emmett had made the drive through the sudden swirling snow, and now they all sat around the sparkling tree, surrounded by opened presents and balls of paper. The evening was winding down, with just Edward and Bella having gifts left to open. Jasper sat in an overstuffed chair on the periphery of the scene, absorbing everyone's joy at seeing one another, and Alice's contentment with the success of the gathering. She sat, nestled in his lap, head pillowed against his chest and watched as Edward opened his gift. She had searched high and low, frequenting Christy's auctions and antique stores finally finding the perfect piece for her adored brother.

"It may have been one of Beethoven's, Edward. They can't be sure, but it is from 1817 and the area where he composed." He stared with wonder at the beautifully aged wooden metronome in his hands as Alice explained. His crooked smile and speechlessness were thanks enough and she snuggled closer to Jasper with a mischievous grin.

"I really just got it for him so he could work on his tempo. I don't want Bella to be disappointed."

Jasper snorted at her insinuation and nuzzled her neck. She straightened up eagerly, and leaned forward in his lap, little hands toying with a trinket she had picked up from the floor earlier, as Bella opened the last gift. _Bella's scarf, I don't think I'll ever be able to see that around her neck and not think about breaking-in the tree skirt._ Jasper choked back a chuckle. Alice was biting her lip again; waiting for the exact moment the box would be opened.

"A scarf, oh Alice, you shouldn't have." Her tone was strange, but Jasper chalked it up to being exhausted from making their Christmas dinner.

Alice leapt lightly to her feet and traipsed over to where Bella sat on the couch next to Edward. She pulled the scarf from the box and lightly slipped it around Bella's neck, using it to pull her closer for a light kiss on the cheek. She opened Bella's hand and dropped in the little bauble she had been playing with, then leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

"You dropped your earring…by the _closet_."

Shock set in as Alice's words registered, and then Bella felt herself turning red from head to toe. Oh no. Oh _fuck_. She hadn't imagined it, any of it. Alice had known she was there all along! Was she about to call her out?

Alice's eyes were locked on her in a very familiar way and the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk. Amusement danced in her eyes, along with a flicker of something more intense. As Alice nibbled on her lower lip, Bella felt the strangest pull of tension and relaxation warring within her body.

Alice leaned forward once again, under the pretext of brushing a few stray strands from Bella's face. Her whisper was barely audible. "Merry Christmas, Bella. I know it's one I'll never forget."

Bella blushed, _undoubtedly from the cost of the scarf_, Jasper thought. That girl didn't like people spending money on her, especially Alice, who always went overboard buying for the sister she had always wanted. He held out his arms, and Alice flitted back, perching herself on his casually crossed legs.

"I think she liked her gift, baby." Jasper whispered, nibbling softly on her earlobe. He wanted someone to be kissing Santa Claus tonight, and a little warm-up never hurt.

Her eyes closed and her perfect lips pulled up into a wickedly sinful smile. "Yeah, Jazz. I think she did."

**Mmm. Yummy.**

**So that just leaves part two of our thingie, which I should probably go edit or something. It'll get put up later today… jandco and wtvoc's gift to you, dear reader! We do so enjoy your reviews, so this is our way of thanking you for a year of love.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ahhh. We hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas, with visions of sugarplums and Robward **

**We wanna thank everyone who entered this contest, it was kind of our own little branching out experience and I hope y'all had as much fun with it as we did. It was a pleasure and an honor to read every entry….here is our bookend. Hope you enjoy.**

**Bella**

I should never, ever drink.

I will never drink again.

That kiss _sucked_.

So why did I want to do it again?

I had to prove myself, right?

Maybe not. Sometimes you miss your window; we just happened to throw a big, fat flaming brick through ours. Oh, well.

He seemed to be okay with it. We'd just live through this one humiliating experience, and I'd hope to never repeat it again.

Funny how one teeth-clanging kiss could sober you up real quick.

We followed the Bea Arthur wannabe to room four. Edward had requested two beds and she had given us a skeptical and judgmental eyebrow before swiping his credit card and beckoning for us to follow with a surly, crooked finger. I'm sure I was fifty shades of red as I followed the two of them, praying I could make it without tripping or making out with Edward again.

With a "tsk" and a roll of her eyes, Dorothy handed him the key and backed out of the dingy motel room.

Which had one ginormous bed right in the center. Ugly bedspread. Peeling bronze and orange 70s throwback floral wallpaper. TV. Minibar? No, thanks.

I walked over to the bed and yanked the bedspread down, flopping on the bed and closing my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I heard him ask, bemused and smirking. I could hear it in his voice. I amused him.

"Who knows what nasty is hanging out on that bedspread? Or these sheets, really. The sheets, I assume, have been laundered because they're not too gross. But the bedspread? Don't you watch _Dateline_?" I grumbled, trying to keep my eyes closed. I couldn't make eye contact yet. I still wasn't over that humiliating kiss.

"I'm going to hit the shower and try to defrost, unless… um. Do you want to go first?" _Do you want to join me?_

I wish.

"Nah, I'm good. I just want to lay here and revel in the gross Mr. Furley décor," I mumbled.

Hell. This is going to be rough. I don't even want to start dissecting sleeping arrangements yet.

I could hear the shower turn on and saw some steam coming out from under the gap in the door a few minutes later, and I gulped, trying not to picture what was going on in the bathroom. To distract myself, I started flipping around the channels. Nothing. Not even Charlie Brown or _It's a Wonderful Life._

I was lying out so that my elbows were propping me up at the foot of the bed, lazily flicking the remote in disgust as I went from channel to channel. The bathroom door creaked open and I glanced over. Dammit. He was dressed again, but of course he was down to boxers and a grey v-neck undershirt. Wet, tousled hair. Looking like he stepped out of some Hanes commercial, really.

I kept my eyes facing forward and started to giggle as I hit the pay-per-view channels.

"_Dirtier Debutantes 8_?" I giggled, scrolling around the guide. "Like one through seven weren't enough?"

"Oh, the fourth was the best one," Edward said without hesitating. I looked up at him, my mouth agape and trying to gauge if he was joking. He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"What?"

"I just… not many guys would readily admit to a porn addiction, Edward."

"I'm not addicted. I watch just enough to get me by."

"Hmm. How much is enough? I mean, I always think I have just enough kitchen appliances, but Ang says I'm addicted."

"Are we talking kitchen appliances, or _kitchen appliances_?"

"Hey, just 'cuz you're a pornmonger, doesn't mean that everything is dirty, Mister."

"Hey, you're the one trolling for porn."

"I'm bored. I thought the title was funny. I mean, there are eight of them!"

"Actually, I think they're up to eleven now. But at this point, it's just bullshit posturing."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Have you ever watched porn?"

"Well, yeah. Sure. Who hasn't been curious about porn?"

"Hmm. Good point. Which one did you watch?"

"I dunno, but it was mostly awful."

"Uh huh. What didn't you like?"

"Well, the sex."

"Which sex?" He was all amusement.

"Whaddya mean, which sex?"

"The oral, the anal, the penetration. Which did you not like?"

"The penetration. It's too… I don't know. Rough. Porn sex is rough sex. And don't get me started on the anal stuff. But that's like, expected. Anal ain't pretty. But sex? That shouldn't always be so… hardcore. But eh. It's porn. It's not like there's a love story to follow."

"Okay. But you're fine with the other sex stuff? The oral?"

"Edward. Only penetration counts. As actual sex, I mean."

"Wait. What? Are you serious? Oral counts. Anal counts."

"Hell no, it doesn't count. Two chicks going at it? That's not intercourse."

"Hmm. Two chicks. I'll have to think about that."

"I bet you will."

"Hey, you're the one who brought up two chicks. Naturally, I'm going to have to think about it. Extensively." He flopped down next to me on the bed. I had my feet under the pillow, trying to keep my toes warm. His proximity made me shiver, and I could feel him leaning over, rubbing up and down my legs.

"What are you doing? I'm not going to watch porn with you, so stop touching me."

"Relax, Swan. You're shivering. I'm just trying to keep you warm. And I think you should watch it. You look like you need some porn in your life."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Hey, just because you indelicately smashed my face into your mouth and started sucking away, doesn't mean that I need lessons from someone named Lisa Sparxxx."

"And now you're insulting me. I'm never sharing my vintage wine with you again. Gimme that remote." And before I could react, he dove for it and grabbed it out of my hand.

And naturally, he ordered the porn.

What could I do? I had nowhere to go. I sat up and flopped next to him.

And we watched porn.

"Why do guys think that's hot?" I asked some moments later as we watched some roughened and umm, meaty girls go all 69 on each other.

"Hmm?" he mumbled. He really was transfixed, but not in a gross way. He was lying back with his arms behind his head. I surreptitiously glanced at his shorts to see if he was getting off on this, but he wasn't. Just a dude, lying in a seedy motel room with a near stranger, watchin' some porn.

"Two chicks, Edward. Why?" I suddenly really wanted to know.

"Umm," he repeated, looking over at me. "Do you really want to know?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't." Plus, I needed the distraction, because it somehow only just _now_ occurred to me that I was watching porn with Edward Cullen. And the fact that we weren't using it for fucking or anything just weirded me out. 'Cause, like- did this mean I was his buddy? Don't guys watch porn together or something?

I noticed that he was staring at me, and I self-consciously tore my eyes away from the fully waxed and pink flesh to stare back.

"What? Inquiring minds wanna know." I just _knew_ I was blushing.

"To put it simply, women are beautiful. Men are not. Penises are weird. So like, I don't really get two dudes together. If that's your thing, that's fine. But I don't see how women like watching gay porn. Guys, on the other hand? We like the way women feel. They always smell terrific. They're soft, and they have nice hair. They're usually well-groomed, and I don't mean down there, just in general. We men like to ogle from afar when there's a beautiful woman in the room. And two beautiful women? Well, I guarantee every guy you know has fantasized about you and Angela together at least once."

"Yourself included?" I was fascinated by this line of conversation. And did he just call me beautiful?

"Well, yeah." He looked back to the TV, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Like I said, there are no exceptions to the rule. Guys just like to picture two girls together. Women are graceful. You throw a guy in there and that's when it starts to get dirty. Rude. Things go in and out, pieces interlock. But with two women… they have to get creative. It's not just about fucking, it's about getting each other off. And that's always hot."

He leaned back, his diatribe finished. I had to admit, he had a point. I could concede that much. But I wasn't going to tell him that. So I just clicked my tongue and also leaned back to get comfortable.

We were sort of both propped up on pillows, the picture of ease. Two good-looking people watching a movie, just like we did back home.

It's just that the movie we were watching had an awful lot of smacking noises.

He shifted a little, subconsciously, I think. 'Cause it was in my direction. Our elbows were now touching, but I didn't move. I resisted the urge to look at him, because it was too confusing. Unfortunately, the only place to look was at the TV, and the writhing and squirming was starting to get to me.

I sat up.

"Can we turn the porn off now?" I half-whispered, not wanting to deal with this at the moment. Without a word, he flipped the TV off and tossed the remote on the bedside table.

"Shall we get some sleep?" he murmured, turning off the light. Uh-oh.

Control yourself, Swan.

And I did.

But I didn't get much sleep.

I'm a roller. A tosser. A turner. I know this.

I couldn't fall asleep. I'd probably end up on top of him or something.

And while I wouldn't kick him out of bed, so to speak… I didn't want to just… ugh. No.

I dozed, a bit. Listened to his heavy breathing. Imagined him waking up with morning wood.

When it was around seven, I got up and hopped in the shower. Trying not to make any noise, I slipped back into my clothes and made my way to the front office. The Golden Girl was gone and there was a guy who looked exactly like JR Ewing giving me the eye. What's with the attack of the eighties TV shows? I expected Roscoe P. Coltrane to pull us over as soon as we got back on the road.

Enduring much in the significant looks department, which meant Bea Arthur had told JR about the young stud in room four and they really do print the titles of pay-per-view on your bill, I asked him to help us hire a tow truck so we could get back on the road.

I stuck my head in the door and was witness to Edward stretching. Good God. The hairy little peek of his happy trail, the shifting of his boxers. Like a total perv, I watched him shrug into his sweater and jeans and all the cold-weather crap. I cleared my throat and his head swiveled around toward me, grinning a huge, sexy grin.

"I think I have a porn hangover," he said, putting on those chunky ski gloves.

"Porn hangover?"

"Yup. I drank in way too much and didn't do anything constructive to metabolize the extra energy."

I decided to leave that one alone.

Embarrassingly enough, the truck started when we got a tow out there. The guy said it happened all the time, and when I offered to pay him for the effort, the guy winked before looking me over. I was in heavy-duty ski bunny clothing, for eff's sake. What is there to ogle?

Oh, well. The best part was that Edward looked pissed as hell about it.

Maybe he didn't think of me as his porn buddy after all.

Or maybe he _did_.

The silence was awkward and deafening the farther we traveled. We had lost who knows how much time with our little side trip adventure to the eighties. Edward figured that we had maybe five hours of drive time left, but the sun was setting. We both had to call our parents, letting them know that we were alive and would arrive the following day.

Watching the sun set, I was humming along to some Moody Blues when Edward finally broke the four-hour silence.

"So… shall we um, stay the night somewhere? Or drive on?"

"Right, Cullen," I tried to say darkly. "Like I'd give you the chance to see the next installment of your _Dirtier Debutantes_."

He chuckled, and just like that, we were okay again.

Over the next few hours, I sat with my arms curled around my knees, propping my feet up on the dashboard. Every time a big truck would roll by, I'd do that thing where I pump my arm at the driver, only I added a bit of a boobie jiggle. This tended to get me extra honks on the horn that lasted until the truck disappeared from the rear view.

We kept talking. He told me about his family, how Christmas with the Cullens was an extravaganza that tired the crap out of him. I told him that Christmas with Charlie and Renee, the eternally young lovebirds, was my favorite time of year. I had missed out on the last few because of my inability to afford going home, and my refusal to let them pay for my ticket. I got the sense that Edward came from money because he felt bad, and he told me he was glad that he could help get me home to my family.

Dammit. My attraction knew no bounds. I listened to the smooth timbre of his voice, the rumble of his laugh as it filled the car, the quiet moments when he hummed along to whatever song I picked on the radio. He really did know every song there was.

I found myself wondering for the thousandth time what he thought of me. Friend? Potential love interest? Porn Buddy? Or simply his roommate's girlfriend's roommate?

As we got closer and closer to Forks, I got more and more desperate. I wanted to know. After these years of pining, I was finally in a position to do something about it, to get proactive. I started to replay in my head all of the missed opportunities, and it started to piss me off. Why had I never made a move? Why didn't he? There was something there, and I knew I couldn't be imagining things. Hadn't he kissed me? Hadn't it been totally awkward but still… something?

I decided as we passed into Clallam County that I would find out. And I'd do it on my own terms, so that no uncertainty was left. I mean, what did I have to lose? I could make a move and if I crashed and burned, well. We were almost home. I didn't have to see him again if all went to fail.

"Edward, I have to go potty."

"Potty, hmm?" He turned to smirk at me, and the playful burning in his eyes took my breath away. Oh, hell yes. It was a sign.

"Yep. Pull up at the next rest stop, please."

**Edward**

Thank god Bella has a bladder the size of a Skittle.

The sexual tension in the truck was getting actually physically painful.

Something had to give—I was glad when she had to pee, which meant she had to get out of the truck, which meant I could adjust my dick and fucking breathe again.

I swear, if we were in that truck for another two minutes together I would've asked her to adjust my dick for me.

And I couldn't very well do that now, because last night I made the mother of all mistakes.

I entered the friend zone.

We watched porn, we conversed about said porn…and we didn't touch each other. I do the same shit with Jasper and Ben all the time.

I fucked it up—big…but in my defense, I needed the porn. I needed anything to break the thick ass ice that the best/worst kiss put between us…and porn did the trick rather nicely.

Too nicely.

Now we were buddies—the awkward/wonderful kiss and the porn sealed the deal.

Sweet.

I pulled into the deserted rest stop/truck driver rapist haven and put the truck in reverse to pull right back out.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked. "I gotta go."

"You're better off by the side of the road," I said, gesturing out the windshield.

Was she blind?

She'd get syphilis, or pregnant…at the very least she'd get an unwanted toothless boyfriend.

"Stop the truck—"

"It's dark out there," I said, using her fear against her, because, God, I just couldn't escort her to the bathroom and stand by the door while she took her pants down and—

"Edward! You're being ridiculous. Stop the truck."

"No."

"I'm going to pee my pants if you don't stop the truck."

I stopped the truck.

Psssh.

If she wasn't bluffing, I'd be smelling hot piss in the middle of July.

We'd risk the rest stop.

"Thank you," she kind of whispered and smiled and I almost pushed her out of the truck, because, fuck…something had to give.

She hopped out and I watched her hair dark hair sway with her steps and I watched her stumble over nothing. I kept my eyes on her while I slid down in my seat and let out a long, ragged breath.

I kept watching when she paused and dug in her pockets.

I kept watching when she put more of the stupid Chapstick on.

I simply couldn't look away…and then my choppy breaths stopped when Bella slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder at me.

I stared and she stared right back, neither of us moving a muscle—just locked in this thing of painful and urgent want…

And then I knew what had to give.

Me.

Without thinking or feeling, I slowly slid my fingers to the door handle, then it clicked open and I was out of the truck.

I kept my eyes on Bella, who didn't turn her body, who didn't move at all, she just kept staring…

I was vaguely aware I didn't shut the truck door, but I couldn't go back now.

I was moving too slow and too fast just to get to her, and I couldn't hear anything aside from the pulse in my ears and the crunch of ice and gravel underneath my feet.

I walked to her, and she didn't move and she didn't ask what I was doing—because it was past that, we both knew what was coming.

I stopped when I was about two feet away from her, because fuck it, she at least had to meet me half way here.

"Yeah," she said so quietly that I only caught it because I was staring at her lips.

"Come here," I whispered.

She nodded and turned around, facing me completely now.

Bella took a step closer, and I reached out to grab the front of her ski jacket, because she wasn't close enough.

"Here?" I asked in her ear.

"Then where…?"

"Here."

"Yeah."

I pulled her in closer to me, because it was cold and all that bullshit about smoldering lust keeping you warm is just that—bullshit. The thing is, the cold just didn't matter.

The top of her head ducked under my chin, her face pressed into the leather of my collar and my fingers fumbled quick and numb until I found the button of her jeans, just under the hem of her coat.

My freezing fingers brushed her warm stomach and I felt her flinch, then move closer into me.

"You sure?" I whispered, my face turned up to the sky while her face stayed hidden in my shoulder.

She nodded, and just like that- I shoved my hand down her pants.

Holy shit.

Quiet Bella goes commando…and bare.

Holy shit.

She let out a small squeak at the my cold hand and I took a deep breath, knowing my hand would be warm and wet, just like her, in no time at all.

I bent my elbow and slid my hand up until my fingertip found what it had been searching for for three years now.

Her jagged nails scratched at the leather on my arms and my finger worked in tight, small circles and I fucking hated the bulky clothes in between us because I could do so much better than this.

Bella's mouth pressed into my coat and I dropped my head so my chin rested on top of her head and I just kept going in her pants…then her hand left my arm and I felt her rub up and down on my dick, through my jeans.

She gripped and rubbed and the friction was going to…was going to…

Her breathing got intense and heavy then quickly cut off.

Bella jerked hard twice and my fingers were coated in her and I wrapped my free arm tightly around her waist because she kind of went limp.

Her hand pressed against my dick, then the rubbing started again and bless her, she knew better than to wrap an ice cold hand around me.

My lips pressed into her hair…and if she would just grip a little tighter and move a little faster I would…

Then she did.

My arm tightened, crushing her to me and I came hard and silent in my damn pants.

I haven't done that since I was fourteen.

It was fucking warm and sticky and messy and outstanding.

We stood completely still for about two minutes—my hand still down her pants, her face still pressed into my jacket and I bit the side of my cheek to keep the goofy ass smile from spreading.

I was on a high.

Then Bella shivered and I reluctantly took my hand from her pants and she looked down while buttoning herself up.

Then shit was just awkward.

Without ever making it to the bathroom or saying a word to me, she walked with a bowed head back to the truck.

I followed and got in the driver's seat and jammed the key in the ignition.

I leaned over Bella and snapped the glove box open, in search of napkins.

She looked out the window and I had no idea what to say, so I just grabbed the napkins and settled back in my seat, then set about the ridiculous task of cleaning myself up.

Two seconds later she was still staring out the window, but she was giggling at me.

"Do you find this funny?" I asked.

"Well…yes."

I wadded up a used napkin and tossed it at her.

"Oh, ew! Ew!" she yelped, then picked it up between her thumb and forefinger and slightly opened the door and tossed it out.

"Very mature," I said, putting the truck in reverse.

"Right. Because it's so mature to throw your cum rag at someone," she said.

"Cum rag?" I laughed

"Cum rag," she giggled, then rested her head and looked out the window.

I drove and Bella slept.

The sexual tension had been relieved.

Now there was new tension—for me anyway.

Had this taken us out of friend zone?

Were we like, cum buddies now?

I don't want just cum buddies, I want conversations and smiling and fuck it-- I want awful kissing.

I want Bella.

I glanced over at her asleep next to me. Her hair had knots all up in the back from sleeping on the seat. There was drool at the corner of her shimmery lips and I was pretty sure I heard a light snore.

I still want Bella.

Two hours later I had to wake her up.

I knew I had to, because every plan I'd came up with to keep her with me longer would probably get me kidnapping charges.

I used one finger to stroke her cheek.

She kind of growled.

I smiled and poked her cheek, making her absently swat at my hand.

"Bella," I said.

Nothing, so I pulled at the ends of her hair.

"Stop," she moaned.

I did it again, harder.

"Fucking…will you stop?" she grumbled, one eye opening and glaring at me.

"Wake up. We're in your neighborhood."

"Oh…um, okay," she said, sitting up straight and swiping at her mouth.

She guided me to her house, where the front porch light was on and her parents would be waiting and I just wasn't ready to let her go.

"So, um, thanks for the ride…for everything," she said, her hand on the door handle.

"Yeah…no, I mean, it was fun. If you need a ride back—"

"Okay. Yeah. I mean, I do."

"Yeah? Good. I guess, I have your email, so—"

"Good. Just, um, email me and we'll figure it out."

"Right."

"Right."

"Well, I'll help you with your stuff," I said, opening my door before she could protest.

She started rummaging through her purse and fidgeting around and I just couldn't not feel sad—which was ridiculous, I'd see the girl in two weeks.

I held back a sigh, got out and started piling her shit out of the cab, then the Chief himself and Bella's mom were bounding off the porch, hugging Bella and gathering up her stuff.

Her father shook my hand.

Her mother thanked me for the ride and shoved a container of cookies in my hands then they all shuffled off.

Bella turned and looked over her shoulder and mouthed goodbye…and I could barely smile back.

I got back in the truck and put the container of cookies in what I would now always consider Bella's spot. It looked too empty.

I was distracted and unsettled and not paying attention to driving, causing me to stop short too quickly at a stop sign, in turn causing the cookies to tumble to the floor.

I kept my foot on the break and leaned over to pick them up, then something else caught my eye.

Bella's journal.

It slipped from her purse.

…but the fumbling…that purse had a zipper…she left it in my truck on purpose…while she was sober.

I snatched the journal up and held it to my chest while I drove all the way home, not even questioning if I would read it or not.

She wanted me to—

I was going to read that journal.

**Bella**

That was…

What was that?

I wasn't sure.

Incredible.

Awkward.

Unexpected.

Necessary.

I mean, first of all, it had been a while. Self-induced orgasms are just so _boring_.

And the guys I'd been with in the last few years had been so… well, like my high school boyfriend.

Who started calling me the practically the instant I set foot back in my house.

I had wanted a repeat of the rest stop thing.

I had wanted Edward to come in and meet Charlie and Renee. Partly because while ever-faithful, my mother appreciated a fine piece of ass like anyone else.

But mostly, I had wanted to just fucking talk to him. I mean, he stuck his hand down my pants in the frickin' ice-cold dead of winter and it was just fucking amazing and the _sensations_ and ugh. We _still_ couldn't bring ourselves to talk about it.

I was going to obsess over this. My idea failed. We were no closer to a definition than we were before my orgasm.

And God, I just… I felt him. I felt how big he was. I had to suppress a triumphant grin at the time because I just _knew_ he'd be that big. No guy has fingers like that and a small dick. God's a fair guy. He doesn't fuck around.

But then suddenly we were at my house and my parents must have been waiting for the truck to pull up and then I was in their warm, parental embrace and I could smell baking on Charlie's flannel and Renee smelled like Noxzema night cream and I was pulled out of the confused afterglow of near-sex for one brief second and then I looked over my shoulder and he was getting into his truck and he was just _gone_.

I almost cried or screamed or just fucking _ugh_.

I spent the next five days moping. Morose. Irritated. Nothing made me happy.

Edward had texted me later that night that he had gotten home safely, and I almost called him. It had been like, two in the morning but I still wanted to hear his voice. To say something utterly absurd that would force that weird half-chuckle out of the back of his throat until my eyes rolled back into my head with want. I scolded myself for thinking initially that spending so much time in the truck would get me over my obsession with Edward Cullen because it was just _way_ worse now.

And to ice my fucking cake, Tyler kept showing up. Tyler. My virginity. Former Forks High Basketball Star and all-around pain-in-the-ass. He would call every few months while I was at school, not-so-subtly hinting that if I came home, I would get some. Like I was interested in Bartles & Jaymes and a cold basement sofa while I watched him play some NCAA Football on his Xbox and waited impatiently for three minutes in bumpy, rhythmless heaven.

I wanted to sock my mom in the nose for allowing him into the kitchen every time he "just happened by", too. I couldn't make a run to the grocery store without running into him; I had forgotten how damned small a town Forks really was, and it was starting to get on my nerves. I was considering throwing him a pity fuck just so he'd lay off for a few months, but I honestly couldn't stand the thought that Edward would no longer be the last person inside me, even if it was just the finger part that had made contact.

These thoughts made my mind go into full-blown fantasy mode, which was not helping so much with my irritation.

Christmas Eve rolled around and nothing. No texts. No calls. I took that as the message that we were definitely in friend zone.

I was so certain that he would find my journal. My thoughts. My millions of questions about what he was like when he wasn't sitting on the couch and eating Chinese food while watching TiVo'd episodes of _Scrubs_. How I had been to every cross-country and track meet he had been in at school, and shit. I left those newspaper clippings in there. That's probably why he hadn't called. He'd realized that I'm a stalker. Obsessive. Fuck.

Merry effing Christmas, Bella.

I woke up Christmas morning to Renee bouncing around on my bed. I chuckled, feeling warm and a little happy that some things never changed. Mom was still Mom, and that's a good thing.

Charlie had his apron tied on and was flipping pancakes in the kitchen, and the smell of coffee attracted me right on over. It really was good to be home, which is positive since everything else in my life was pure and utter shit.

"I wonder who could be at the door?" Renee said suddenly; we were clearing the lunch dishes and I was moving out the piles of clothing and CDs I had gotten as gifts; Mom rushed over to the door and naturally Tyler was there, looking purposefully disheveled and handsome. I didn't wonder that I had dated him in high school, I was just sick of the guy.

Okay, that's not fair. He was Not Edward. Not his fault. So I tried to be nice.

I humored my mother when she pointed out that we were under the mistletoe.

I made him a mug of cocoa when he appeared to be staying.

I laughed at his lame-ass jokes.

I entertained him until well after the appropriate "I just dropped by" time had passed, even as folks were stopping by to wish the Chief and his family a merry merry.

Basically, I resigned myself to a disappointing trip home.

I wasn't even sure I wanted to ride back with Edward anymore. I didn't think my poor heart and mind could take much more of this relentless obsessing over nuances and meaningful/less glances.

I decided my New Year's Resolution would be to get over Edward Cullen, and I felt a twinge of sadness that the back of my mind didn't give me a big, fat _yeah right_.

This decision was reached as I was realizing that Tyler had seriously overstayed his welcome. I started hedging that he might want to go spend some time with his family because Charlie and Renee were headed out to the Stanley's Christmas Party, and I knew that if I didn't get him out now that he'd stay because all of the adults of Forks tended to get seriously drunk at that party and not make it home until the wee hours of the morning, and my parents were no exception to that rule.

As Tyler was hemming and hawing over asking if I wanted to go do something later, I felt my pocket buzz and there was a text message there. From Edward.

_Merry Christmas, Bella_.

Well, whaddyaknow.

_You, too_.

And that was that.

I sighed and practically shoved Tyler out the door. He looked a little put out, but I ignored it and told him that maybe we could go for coffee tomorrow. He seemed placated by that, and I shut the door, turning around and slowly turning off the lights in the house. Kitchen, first. Living room. It was completely dark now except for the Christmas tree and the fire that I just didn't want to put out. I was deciding to park it in front of the TV and watch _the Grinch_ when there was a knock at the door. Fucking Tyler just didn't know when to quit.

I hauled off of the couch and dropped the remote, almost deciding to turn the TV on and complain about being tired, but I decided I'd just have to be firm. I opened my mouth and the door and of course, it wasn't him.

It was Edward.

I couldn't help it. Fuck. A grin overtook my damned _life_ when I saw him standing there.

"Hey," he said, a puff of cold escaping his mouth. He looked beautiful standing there with his hands behind his back.

"Hey," I returned, because I just didn't know what to say. He was _here_.

"You left something in my truck," he said lamely. I realized he was standing there on my porch in the freezing cold and I ushered him inside, for lack of anything better to do or say.

He handed me my journal and smirked. So he read it. Great. Did he come here to gloat? That was just-

"I also brought you some _candy_," he said, bringing out his other arm and handing me one of those enormous Hershey's Kisses. Dude.

I looked up at him shyly, wondering if this meant what I so desperately wanted it to mean.

"So I was thinking," he began, brushing past me and walking toward the couch. He stumbled a little on the step because it was dark and he turned around and I bumped into him and dammit, he smelled good.

"Yes?" I breathed, not meeting his eyes. He brushed my hair out of my face and grabbed my chin, jerking it up and we locked gazes.

"No more miscommunication. Okay? I'm sick of it. I'm into you, Bella. Always have been. So let's be clear, here. Awkward kisses and weird rest stop stuff aside… I want this. You, I mean. You and me."

Thank you, Santa.

I simply nodded, never breaking eye contact. He leaned down and kissed me, and this wasn't awkward or clanging teeth. This was _wonderful_.

His lips were cold and soft, brushing against me and the leather jacket he wore smelled like an ice cream shop and I clutched the lapels of it, bringing him closer to me. I almost laughed when I realized we were under the mistletoe, but I'm sure he didn't notice and it didn't matter anyway because his mouth was moving and we were in sync for the first time, ever. He was so cold and I wanted to warm him up so I pressed into his cold body, lightly rubbing my palms over his chest. The soft fabric of his sweater caused a little static and I could feel the spark building between us as his mouth moved with mine, his head tilting so that I could feel the cold tip of his nose brushing my cheek as we kissed. He leaned down a little, taking a deep breath in my ear and it felt wonderful. Soft and delicate, like he was unsure what to do with me.

Fuck that.

I started leaning into him, pressing so that he was walking backward and the kissing turned into tongues. Tasting and testing and moving. Swirling. Insistent and delicious. No deep throating, no mouth fucking. Long and languorous and lovely. He was a damned good kisser, as I had always suspected. He had his fingertips pressed into my jaw, and I noticed that he was getting warmer, which was good because I didn't think I could take shivers from both his touch _and_ his temperature. The sensations were just too much.

"Bella," he whispered, and I could feel the timbre of his voice down in my bones, and it was making me wet just thinking about him whispering things in my ear all night.

I pushed him away, playfully. He grinned at me- the grin of a guy who knows he's not going _anywhere_.

"Fucking took you long enough, Cullen," I said, putting my hands on my hips and staring him down. His half-smile popped up and I almost lost it right there. I pushed him and he stumbled on the arm of my couch and ended up sitting on it. He reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me in.

"Tell me about it," he whispered again, rubbing his nose along my jaw. I tilted my head so that I could enjoy that thrilling feeling of him at my throat. He kissed my neck lightly, moving down and lightly pushing the collar of my shirt away so that he could trail down to my collarbone. I started clenching involuntarily because the shuddering feeling elicited from those kisses was just making me horny and dammit. I couldn't take it anymore.

I stepped back and grabbed the hem of my shirt, neatly lifting it away from my body. I stood there in my basic black bra and his eyes took on this lusty dark look and I knew I was done.

"Come here," I said, my voice low and husky. He stood up and came to me, towering and tall and so freaking Edward and he put his hands on my arms, tracing paths up to my shoulders and down across the tops of my breasts.

"Beautiful," he whispered, and it was such a trite thing to say but I ate it up. The way he was looking at me made me feel like I really was beautiful to him. I'm such a sap.

I turned around and pressed against him, moving my hair over my shoulder and tilting my head again so that he could have at my neck. I loved that. I closed my eyes as I felt him press his lips at that spot I was hoping he'd kiss; I had to stop a hiss when I felt the soft velvet of his tongue on my skin, and his lips rushed up to the spot under my ear. He blew a stream of cold air down the path he had just licked up my neck, and this time I shuddered visibly.

"Sorry," he chuckled into my ear, low and full of his desire.

"No, you're not," I returned, turning my body and him with it as I made for the couch. He pulled away for a second and I could feel him removing his own sweater, and when he pressed his warm chest into my back, I smiled. Like it was supposed to be that way, him molding himself into me. We fit. It was nice.

His hands started to feel my skin again, and my breathing increased when he got down to my waist. He kept his palms there, gripping me, but his fingers were brushing against my hips, dipping into the waistband of my jeans. I was going to die if he didn't touch me again.

He leaned in and kissed my shoulder again, and when I felt his teeth lightly sink into my skin, I was done. I bucked backward and felt him, hot and hard against my ass. Wiggling my hips back and forth into him, I heard him gasp and I leaned forward, his hands still grasping my waist as I braced myself on the side of the couch. He brought them around to the button on my jeans and before I knew it, he was unzipping. Running his thumbs under the waist as he eased my pants off of me. Pressing into me as he brought them all the way down to my ankles, where I kicked them off. Then he stood up and I heard him take his own pants off.

We were standing there, in our undergarments. I was still propping myself up on the couch arm, my head down, breaths coming in short gasps. I felt him step up and against me again, and I stopped breathing when I realized he was completely naked and then his hands were at my bra, his fingertips reaching inside and he was running them along my nipples and my breaths were just loud and then he pinched and rolled and hell. His cock was now pressed against my ass and I just wanted it. Needed it.

"Edward," I breathed, and that did it. His hands slid down my belly and into my underwear and he sucked in a breath when he got to how wet I was and his thumbs were pressing into the flesh below my bellybutton, hard and massaging as he teased me with the tips of his fingers.

My head was still down between my arms and I opened my eyes, watching as he strummed along, teasing me and making me wetter. I could see the reds and blues and greens of the blinking Christmas lights behind us and I smiled because it was pretty and he was sort of going along with the blinking rhythm but I'm pretty sure that was unintentional.

I started to move my hips a little, alternating between trying to get his fingers to actually go deeper and pressing up into his cock that I desperately wanted to feel on my skin. He was sliding it up against the top of my ass crack and I could feel the slight moisture from it against the skin of my back, and I was gasping and making these half-word noises and then he just yanked down on my panties. I wiggled my legs around to get them off because I couldn't use my hands, I'd lose my balance. But by the time they made it to my knees, he was pressing against me and between my legs and dammit. I finally shook the damned panties off, lifting my leg slightly to fling them with my foot and then I felt it. He reached down and was rubbing my very slick pussy with two fingers, not going in but sort of playing with light pinches and hell, I couldn't take it.

"Edward," I breathed again, and there he was, rubbing his cock against me, getting it wet with _me_ and I froze so that I could feel his hardness rubbing up and down the folds, teasing and tantalizing and I wanted to keep up the friction but I leaned forward and stuck my ass out and then he was pulling back and just fucking thrust into me.

That slight pain at first contact made me gasp, like, really loudly. But in a good way. Fuck, he was just full and filling and I leaned back into it, bracing myself and trying to remember not to lock my arms. My soft sigh filled the room, and I opened my eyes and saw the embers of the dying fire floating up the chimney as Edward slowly pulled back, angling up a little so that I felt every inch as he tried so hard not to go too fast.

Fuck that. I leaned forward and pressed back, meeting him as he thrust in, and this time he did hiss and he grabbed my hips, pulling me in and pausing as his entire pelvis hit the curve of my ass. He continued to just fucking pound into me then, and I lost the ability to see, either because I was squeezing my eyes shut so hard or because I just couldn't concentrate on anything but the fucking friction and the delicious tension that was building. I couldn't differentiate much between our breathing; we were perfectly in sync. Gasping and clenching and moving and just _pounding_.

My gasps turned into loud sighs and his gasps turned into very male grunting as he squeezed my hips and my back was starting to ache because I was using every muscle I had to push into him and the fire seemed to flare bigger and higher and hotter and then I was _there_, I was feeling it build and it was wet and wonderful and oh God. God. Fucking good. Too good. Too fucking _good_.

He stilled and I felt him pulsing into me, pulsing and moving because I could feel that almost indescribable tickle as his body spilled into mine and he was rumbly and growling in his throat and then I was there, too. Blinding fire flaring in my brain as the pleasure of it all washed up from my stomach and through my body, my knees buckling and my feet pressing up and my fucking elbows locked and then I was just limp; I gave and he caught me before I fell forward, gently lifting out and bringing me up to cradle in his arms.

We stood there for a moment, catching our breaths and his skin was hot and damp against mine or maybe we were both just too sweaty and it was just… awesome. I had no words for it but… awesome. And fucking _finally_.

He ducked his forehead so that it was resting on my shoulder, and we had to take a breather. His arms wrapped tighter around me and then we were sitting and slumped over on the couch, leaning into each other and breathing easier. He pulled down the old crocheted afghan my grandmother had made and carelessly tossed it over us, leaning sideways so that we were resting on the cushions. I watched the fire that was practically dead now and swiped at my upper lip, wiping away the moisture that had gathered there.

"I don't want you to go," I whispered, silently cursing my inability to just let a moment fucking happen.

"Well, luckily for you, I didn't tell my parents I was coming home. They went to my grandma's in Chicago for Christmas."

"You mean you were alone today?" That made me a little sad and more than a little mad. I could have avoided a whole day with the dreaded ex-Virginity.

"Yeah. Don't worry, though. I got everything I wanted."

"Don't turn all sappy on me now, Cullen," I teased. Now that I had him, I could poke fun all I wanted.

"Only for you, Swan. Only for you." He pulled me in tighter, and I just didn't think it was possible, but it was. He could squeeze the breath out of me and I'd be okay with it.

"Please stay," I whispered, knowing he wouldn't make fun of that. He didn't.

"Okay."

"I don't want you to go."

"I won't."

"Good. Hey, Edward?"

"Hmm?" He was sounding sleepy. I needed to get us off the couch. I doubted my drunken parents wouldn't notice us there.

"Let's go to bed."

"Okay."

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for my gift."

"Welcome."

"Edward?"

"Yes?" He sounded amused now.

"Thanks for my candy."

His body laughed at me, and I could feel him getting hard _again_. Wow.

"Alright, Casanova. Lemme get you upstairs before we're caught by my parents. Renee's pretty desperate for me to find a nice boy, but I don't think she'd enjoy my methods of getting one."

"Okay, you. Let's go to bed since you've been so desperate to get me there for so long." He neatly lifted us off the couch and set me on my feet, gathering our clothes and tossing my shirt and panties at me. I lifted my eyebrow at him and turned, heading up the stairs.

"Come on, you. I want to end my Christmas right and in my bed. And PS- I want to ring in the New Year in exactly the same fashion."

"Whatever Bella wants, Bella gets," he said, grabbing my hand and kissing my palm.

Merry Christmas to me.

**p.s. keep yer eyes peeled for the honorable mention stories…we wanted to pick way more than five, so when the list hit twenty, well, things got out of control…**


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